Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has been named a 2021 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year: Sustained Excellence, the highest honor among ENERGY STAR awards. This is the fifth consecutive year that FCPS has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy for its continued efforts to improve the energy efficiency of its buildings and facilities.

The EPA presents the Sustained Excellence Award to partners that have already received ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year recognition for a minimum of two consecutive years and have gone above and beyond the criteria needed to qualify for recognition.

“Energy efficiency not only saves FCPS money, it also reduces pollution by cutting energy use. FCPS’ commitment to the safety, well-being, and future success of all children in our community demands action, and participating in the ENERGY STAR program provides simple, credible, and unbiased information, as well as a third party review of the effectiveness of our energy management efforts,” said Jeff Platenberg, FCPS assistant superintendent for Facilities and Transportation Services. 

For 2021, FCPS was recognized for:

• Saving more than $6.7 million in annual energy costs in 2020, and over $38.6 million since 2014 by partnering with ENERGY STAR®.
• Reducing more than 25,500 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, which is equivalent to 5,300 passenger vehicles not being driven for one year.
• Creating the FCPS Energy Education Team, which strives to reduce district energy use and cost without negatively impacting health and safety, the educational environment, or productivity.
• Continuing compliance with EPA guidance to submit all eligible buildings for 2020 certification. 
• Utilizing the GET2GREEN dashboard as a platform to educate students, staff, parents, and community members using interactive ENERGY STAR® information, and to encourage energy conservation.
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% since emissions tracking began in 2008.

“The FCPS-ENERGY STAR partnership has been in place since 1998, and has been one of the longest and most successful partnerships the school division has ever had. We are proud to be making a difference not only locally, but globally,” Platenberg added.

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