By Alex White
Staff Writer
Manhattan Beach Unified School District is beginning its second year of an effort to cut energy consumption at district sites.
This effort is led by energy education specialist Stacia Costa, who was hired by the Board of Trustees in September 2010. Last year, MBUSD saved $194,000 and 2,111,000 gallons of water. At the previous MBUSD board meeting, Costa summarized what she is planning for the future to save energy and district funds.
“This is an effort that relies on all staff members to work together,” Costa said.
According to Costa, the district saved the most energy last year through using resources like electricity and heating only when buildings were occupied, an effort that does not disrupt the learning environment. Mira Costa Principal Ben Dale is enthusiastic about the program.
“[The energy conservation program] has saved us money and raised our consciousness as a faculty,” Dale said.
Additional plans have been made by MBUSD and Costa for future energy savings that are specific to Mira Costa. The campus uses more water than any other MBUSD site, and Costa, with the maintenance staff, plans on reducing water through new irrigation techniques on the school’s athletic fields. Furthermore, the pool creates substantial amounts of energy waste that, according to Costa, can be eliminated by covering it more efficiently.
“I think the most important element of our energy program is education,” Costa said. “Energy is no longer cheap or abundant, and it is our responsibility to prepare our students for their future.”
Costa and MBUSD were recently given the Award for Energy Stewardship by Mark Starkey, a representative from Energy Education, which is a company that offers assistance in energy savings. The $194,000 saved last year is an impressive effort, but Dale believes the district and Mira Costa can keep up the pace of consumption reduction in future years.
“We will continue to improve our ability to ‘go green’,” Dale said. “It is an important issue moving forward.”
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