Willimantic, Conn. –The Institute for Sustainable Energy (ISE) at Eastern Connecticut State University has been selected to receive a prestigious national award honoring its accomplishments in energy efficiency and sustainability.
The 2014 Energy Star Partner of the Year Award, to be formally presented in Washington, D.C., on April 29 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy, recognizes the institute’s work with Connecticut towns, state agencies, school buildings and college campuses to strategically and comprehensively manage energy use.
“We are honored to be recognized nationally for the contributions the Institute for Sustainable Energy has made to energy conservation and sustainability in Connecticut,” said Elsa Nunez, President of Eastern Connecticut State University. “In addition to being a leader in evaluating energy efficiency and supporting the adoption of practical energy solutions in municipalities and school systems across our state, the institute has provided dozens of Eastern student interns with the skills necessary to augment our state’s clean energy workforce.”
Established in 2001, the institute has performed Energy Star “benchmarking” on more than 40 percent of Connecticut’s 1,000 public schools, 170 state facilities and more than 120 other municipal buildings. The benchmarking empowers decision-makers with valuable information on a building’s energy use, enabling them to save money and lower energy consumption. The institute also connects towns and agencies with the many energy incentive programs available in Connecticut, accelerating the installation of energy efficient equipment.
The ISE and Connecticut’s energy incentive programs are supported by the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Board through funding from electric rate payers. As Connecticut strives to become the most energy efficient state in the nation, the Energy Efficiency Board’s 2013 initiatives resulted in more than $53 million of annual savings for Connecticut’s businesses, residents and municipalities.
“The Institute for Sustainable Energy is an important partner in achieving a sustainable energy future for Connecticut,” said Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Commissioner Robert Klee. “Energy efficiency is a key component of Governor Malloy’s Comprehensive Energy Strategy for Connecticut. We applaud the institute for providing technical support and building strong relationships to help our communities and state agencies save energy, save money, and lead by example.”
The Energy Star label applies to products, homes and buildings that prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy efficiency requirements set by the U.S. EPA. From the first Energy Star-qualified computer in 1992, the Energy Star label can now be found on products in more than 70 different categories, with more than 4.5 billion Energy Star units sold. More than 1.5 million new homes and 23,000 office buildings, schools and hospitals have earned the Energy Star label. Since the Energy Star program began, American families and businesses have saved $297 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 2.1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions with help from Energy Star.
For more information, please contact Lynn Stoddard, director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy, at (860) 465-2813.