Submitted by Michelle Doggett, Energy Specialist, WCSD

The Walton County School District was presented the Energy Pacesetter Award at the March 15, 2016 School Board meeting for “setting the pace” in energy savings for others.  The District has achieved a 33 percent cost avoidance savings totaling $4,178,309 in 49 months through its energy program with Cenergistic, an energy conservation company. We are gratified that Walton County School District has been recognized for its commitment to good budgetary and environmental stewardship.

 The energy program’s savings come from the cooperative efforts of each staff member at each of our facilities. Every person in every group — administrators, plant managers, custodial, maintenance and operations, food service, faculty and staff — has ownership of the energy he or she uses. We’ve found that as each person becomes aware of the positive effect conservation efforts can have, each one is doing what it takes to save energy. It’s very gratifying to see the level of cooperation continue to rise throughout our organization. We work diligently, day in and day out, through the year to reduce energy waste. Through our continued efforts our collective success is measured.

Success can be measured in many ways. While dollar savings are significant, the energy program’s environmental impact is worth noting. The resources saved by not generating the 112,399 MMBTUs we conserved in the 49 months are equivalent to removing 3,555 automobiles from the road or planting 437,498 pine trees. That’s wise conservation of natural resources for our future generations.

 All WCSD employees and students should be lauded for their conservation success as we continue to eliminate energy waste and preserve savings for classrooms and students throughout Walton County Schools.

Pictured Left to Right:  School Board Member Jason Catalano, Superintendent Anderson, Energy Specialist Michelle Doggett, Facilities & Maintenance Director Mark Gardner, and Cenergistic Regional President Gary Clark