Calvin Ahn Presents MacArthur Elementary School for Getting to Zero's 21st Century Schools: Cleaner and Greater

Calvin Ahn, Principal, presented on the LEED Platinum and Net Zero ready Binghamton City School District MacArthur Elementary School as part of Getting to Zero’s 21st Century Schools: Cleaner and Greener on December 8. The virtual offering, sponsored by NYSERDA and enVerid, in tandem with the Getting to Zero Forum dove deep into the steps for getting to zero, how to lay out a plan, and provide the template materials available to support school districts on this path to full decarbonization.

The seminar was the second of a three-part series. Getting to zero carbon in K-12 schools can seem an insurmountable goal, but a “Zero Over Time” approach that leverages naturally occurring events over the building’s lifecycle can cost effectively reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. This involves capitalizing on events like new construction, modernizations, system retrofits, and equipment replacement as they happen. School districts have proven that ambitious energy and carbon goals are achievable within existing budget and staffing limitations. Building on a successful cohort model where dozens of districts joined NBI to prepare for rapidly advancing legislation and policy – this series will lay the groundwork for district success to 2050 and beyond.