Students at Okemos High School (OHS) in Michigan recently took on an important initiative to improve their school’s energy usage. In collaboration with MEO, the students were able to assess the building’s energy usage and identify areas for improvement, resulting in significant cost savings for the school.
The high school Environmental Club, along with faculty and staff, initiated the project and reached out to MEO to help with feasibility and technical studies. The project was funded in part by a grant from the C.S. Mott Foundation, with an additional $70,000 fundraised by the school.
MEO performed a thorough assessment of the OHS building, providing a customized report highlighting the most cost-effective energy efficiency upgrades, as well as comparative analyses for two solar system sizes. The report included estimates of costs, savings, and payback times for the recommended upgrades. Selected upgrades included the installation of a 20kW roof-mounted solar system by Homeland Solar, a local Michigan company.
Thanks to the success of this project, MEO was able to bring in one of its partners, The Ecology Center, to energy benchmark all of the Okemos Public Schools buildings. The work was completed for nine buildings, resulting in the district now pursuing ENERGY STAR® certification.
This project is a great example of how students can drive positive change in their communities. By working together with organizations like MEO, they were able to make significant improvements to their school’s energy usage, resulting in cost savings and a more sustainable future.
