Friday 12 April 2019

New York schools to get lessons on improving energy efficiency

A new programme to help schools in New York to better understand and improve their energy efficiency and performance and reduce their carbon footprint has been announced.

Eligible schools will receive free benchmarking services for up to three years to measure, track and assess their energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) will also provide site-specific recommendations about operational, maintenance and energy management modifications that can result in energy and cost savings.

There are currently more than 6,000 public and private schools in the state of New York, which together spend around $1 billion (£0.76bn) in annual energy costs while producing 5.6 million metric tons of emissions.

The programme is open until March 2022, with applications accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Alicia Barton, President and CEO of NYSERDA said: “Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership and commitment to reducing harmful emissions and setting New York on the path to a carbon-neutral economy, participating schools will receive valuable hands-on support for identifying cost-effective energy efficient solutions to help lower their energy usage and costs while creating a cleaner and more sustainable energy environment for the future.”

The programme supports the state’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 19990 levels by 2030.