June 8, 2022
Fredericton, NB – Natural Resources Canada
(NRCan) selected Bliss Carman Middle School to receive the prestigious 2022
ENERGY STAR® Canada Award for being the highest ENERGY STAR Certified K-12
school in Canada in 2021.
ENERGY STAR Canada is a voluntary partnership between
the government and more than 1,000 organizations working on using natural
resources more wisely through greater energy efficiency. This year was the
first time NRCan separated schools into their own award category, and Bliss
Carman Middle School had the unique honour and distinction of being the
inaugural winner. "Having the real work of energy savings be recognized by
this award is a proud achievement and demonstrates the school district's
commitment to energy management in our buildings," says Shawn Tracey,
Anglophone West School District's Director of Finance and Administration and a
key leader in the district's sustainability efforts. "This award also sets
a good example to the students that their school's impact on the environment
matters."
Equipped with heat recovery systems and
state-of-the-art building management controls, Bliss Carman Middle School was
built in 2009 with energy efficiency in mind. In 2018, the school district's
facilities team shifted to incorporating energy management as part of their day-to-day
operations, and with the help of the school's custodians, staff and students, they
have been able to uphold their commitment to efficiency. Benchmarking energy
consumption, setting improvement objectives, monitoring and optimizing operations,
implementing energy-efficient upgrades, and making smart choices like turning
lights and electronics off when not in use have made this award-winning school
a shining example of how energy management works.
In 2021, compared to the national median, the school
prevented 163 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, which is the equivalent
of 50 cars off the road. According to Tim Cross, Energy Manager, Service New
Brunswick, who works closely with the school district on their energy management
plan, this is a result of teamwork. "Everyone is working together to make
a difference - from the government who designed the school and provided the bones
to be an energy-efficient building to the district team and the students and
school staff who proudly take care of it. Everyone strives to be aware,
understand their personal impact on the environment, and do better."
Anglophone West School District has recently adopted
an energy management policy and continues to work on reducing energy
consumption district-wide. So far, it has one other ENERGY STAR Certified
school in its midst and is working on getting more schools on board in the
coming years.
Media
Contact:
Jennifer Read,
Director of Communications, ASD-W
Jennifer.read@nbed.nb.ca
Social
Media:
Twitter:
@ASD_West, @BCMSEagles
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bliss-Carman-Middle-School
Websites:
Anglophone West
School District
Bliss Carman Middle School
Natural Resources Canada News Release:
ENERGY
STAR® Canada Recognizes Leaders in Energy Efficiency - Canada.ca