Aspen Academy Named Colorado's Only Green Ribbon School by U.S. Department of Education for Energy Saving

May 13, 2020

Denver, May 13, 2020 (Issuewire.com) - Aspen Academy this week received word it was selected as Colorado's only Green Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education for recent campus-wide LED lighting upgrades expected to result in notable long-term cost and energy savings. The honor puts Aspen in an elite group of just 39 schools across the country to earn the 2020 designation. Yet, the timing was especially meaningful to the school community. Located in Greenwood Village, Colorado, Aspen Academy is a leader in innovative education through its internationally acclaimed academics. It is the nation's first integrated Pre-K through 8th-grade leadership and entrepreneurial development program, whereby students are empowered to lead purposeful and extraordinary lives."Just like the rest of the world, we are dealing with the challenges of COVID-19, and getting the news of this award certainly gave us something to celebrate - even if it was virtually," said Lynda Sailor, co-founder, and director, Aspen Academy. This award is a very big deal for us.

One of Aspen's core values is Make the World Better, and by lowering energy use we are doing just that and protecting our planet." The school worked with Energy Optimization Services (EOS) - which builds, installs, and helps secure financing for LED tech projects - on the new lighting throughout its80K-square-foot campus. The lighting system EOS developed is expected to reduce related energy costs by 74 percent annually at a 10-year savings of nearly $488K. The number of kilowatt-hours energy to be saved per year is approximately 286,000, thereby removing more than 434,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the environment annually.

"Working with Aspen Academy was a real privilege for us. Linda and her team have a vision and are always on the cutting edge of what works. The studies show that CCT tunable LED lighting improves students' overall moods and happiness while reducing stress, anxiety, and restlessness. We've been able to help dozens of schools and even whole school districts save millions of dollars on their energy bill, reduce their carbon footprint, and improve the learning environment for the students. It's a rare win, win, win." said Daniel Hunt, Director of Marketing for EOS. "It is really important to us that we provide students with a bright, welcoming environment in which to learn and grow and the new lighting has made an immeasurable difference in achieving that," said Sailor. "And because we are always mindful of budget, we have been thrilled to see our monthly energy bills go from around $5500 to $2500 with a projected annual return on investment of 56 percent."

The Green Ribbon award recognizes schools, districts, and post-secondary institutions for innovative efforts to reduce environmental impact and utility costs, improve health and wellness, and ensure effective sustainability education."We are so thrilled to receive this designation, especially on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, as it reinforces to students the importance of taking the lead, thinking big, and paving the way for others to follow and succeed," she added.

Aspen Academy was founded in 2005 by three women dedicated to providing an educational opportunity where what students know is equally as important as who they are. Now with 400 students, the school is the fastest-growing private school in the state of Colorado. For more information, go to www.aspenacademy.org.