June 23, 2021
Pinellas County Schools was presented the Cenergistic Energy Stewardship Award which is given annually to Cenergistic’s most successful partners. The award recognizes the combined efforts of the faculty, staff, leadership at each school, and the efforts of district staff and the leadership of the School Board.
“This award is special because it really recognizes the work that everybody has done with Cenergistic, from teachers, to our plant operators, to our principals and the entire district,” said Clint Herbic, the associate superintendent of Operational Services. “It really recognizes the efforts of everybody.”
The district began its partnership with Cenergistic in 2015 to focus on three goals – to improve the health of schools, reduce energy consumption and create savings to be redirected to the classroom. In that time, the district has realized a reduction in energy consumption by 37 percent which has led to over $40 million in savings. The environmental impact of this energy reduction use is substantial and equal to reducing CO2 emissions from 503,874,037 miles not driven by an average vehicle. Cenergistic has also proven to be a valuable partner in identifying and implementing strategies to provide the necessary levels of air filtration and clean air exchange that provides healthy classrooms which reduces the risk of viral spread.
As a result of Cenergistic’s support of the district energy conservation program, Pinellas County Schools has been recognized for the last three years by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year. The district is one of only six school districts across the nation to receive these accolades for their continued commitment to energy efficiency.
