January 25, 2010

SCSDB News

South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind

Crystal Chirico, Communications Office

W: (864) 577-7505 cchirico@scsdb.org

Katie Rice, Communications Office

W: (864) 577-7506 krice@scsdb.org For Immediate Release

SCSDB Awarded for Energy & Cost-Saving Innovations!

SPARTANBURG, SC – The South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind (SCSDB) is going green and gaining accolades for it! SCSDB won the Association of South Carolina Energy Managers (ASCEM) Energy Project of the Year Award, the only state award for energy efficiency projects. In addition, SCSDB received an Energy Stimulus Grant from the SC Energy Office specifically designated for a heating system update. These energy-saving measures to reduce the agency’s carbon footprint will save SCSDB over $600,000 in heating costs over the next 10 years.

SCSDB won the 2009 Energy Project of the Year Award for the installation and implementation of an efficient electric boiler system that takes advantage of off-peak electric rates at the Spartanburg campus. The new electric steam boiler is located in the Central Steam Plant and provides steam through underground steam lines to heat 60 percent of our campus buildings. The new green energy source will save the agency nearly $650,000 over the next 10 years. The project was led by John O’Brien, SCSDB construction manager, under the direction of Jon Castro, SCSDB chief financial officer.

Each year, ASCEM recognizes an SC organization through the Energy Project of the Year Award for its outstanding work to improve energy management systems through the implementation of energy-saving measures. The award distinguishes the innovative use of energy-saving technologies which improve energy efficiency and save energy dollars. For more information, please visit www.energy.sc.gov.

In addition to the Energy Project of the Year Award, SCSDB has been awarded an Energy Stimulus Grant designated for the Thackston Heating System Replacement Project, due for completion summer 2010. Built in 1957, Thackston Hall houses student classrooms, administration offices and student dorms. It currently uses the original non-efficient steam radiators for heat. The new system will include a new natural gas-generated hot water boiler, allowing for several hundred feet of the current steam pipe system to be shut down, reducing the cost of heating per square foot by 77 percent.

“For the past 10 years, SCSDB has worked closely with the SC Energy Office on campus energy projects, which have driven down campus energy costs and saved tax dollars,” said Maggie Park, interim president of SCSDB. “Receiving designated funds for energy-saving projects will not only make a cost-saving impact, but one that will teach our students the importance of energy conservation.”

SCSDB provides statewide leadership in education and accessibility for individuals who are deaf, blind or sensory multidisabled, their families and the professionals who serve them through: K-12 educational programs on the main campus in Spartanburg, including the Schools for the Deaf, Blind and Multihandicapped; specialized vision and hearing services in local school districts statewide; early intervention programs for infants and

toddlers; family and program assistance for students with deaf-blindness; braille and large print services; free assistive phone and alerting devices; sign language interpreting services; community sign language classes; summer camps for children who are deaf or blind; and family and professional conferences.

SCSDB is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf and the SC Department of Education. The SC Department of Education named SCSDB a Red Carpet School for its outstanding customer service and a Palmetto Gold School for academic accomplishments.

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