The U.S. Department of Energy’s Renew America’s Schools Program, along with the DOE’s Efficient and Healthy Schools Program, has opened applications for the 2024-2025 Energy Champions Leading the Advancement of Sustainable Schools Program, or Energy CLASS.
The initiative, aimed at advancing building and energy management in schools across the U.S., is the “most recent opportunity from the Renew America School’s Program, which seeks to help K-12 public schools across the country to make energy improvements” that can put the country “on a path to a net-zero economy by 2050,” the agency said in a news release Wednesday.
These improvements aim to improve air quality and occupant comfort; reduce energy use, energy costs, emissions and community exposure to pollutants; generate sustainable savings that can be redirected toward educational initiatives; and promote science, technology, engineering and math education and workforce development, according to DOE.
Through the 2024-2025 Energy CLASS, participating local educational agencies will develop and advance plans, policies and projects that make “critical clean energy and health improvements, thereby promoting building and energy management in school districts, across America,” DOE said.
Each of the 50 participating LEAs will nominate an energy champion who will engage with Energy CLASS resources and trainings and receive one-to-one expert advice on strategic energy management, project development, approaching funding pathways and related topics, per the release. Tapping into the Energy CLASS champions’ outcome-based peer-to-peer learning network will deepen bandwidth and knowledge for advancing the fiscal and environmental sustainability of their schools, DOE said.
The opportunity builds on the 2023 Energy CLASS Prize, which provided 25 LEAs with up to $150,000 and nine months of training to build proficiencies in identifying, planning and implementing infrastructure upgrades to strengthen schools and communities. The DOE Renew America’s Schools program published these trainings on Aug. 5, allowing schools nationwide to access 35 hours of free, on-demand energy management trainings.
Designed for school personnel in facilities, maintenance, sustainability and related roles, the training sessions aim to equip districts with the knowledge and resources to reduce utility costs and identify funding pathways for sustainability projects, DOE says on its project website.
The 2024-2025 Energy CLASS will build on these publicly accessible trainings by providing resources and guidance tailored to individual school districts, further helping to realize energy and sustainability goals, DOE said.
The deadline for 2024-2025 Energy CLASS application submissions is Oct. 4.
