Local Event: Green Strategies That Drive Sustainable Schools

PASADENA, CA — Billed as the first and largest of its kind, the Green California Schools & Community Colleges Summit and Exposition kicks-off here today, drawing education leaders and green technology experts together to examine policies, practices and technologies that support sustainable schools.

The two-day event, which is being held at the Pasadena Convention Center, is sponsored by Green Technology, a California-based non-profit initiative focused on developing strategy and leadership for clean and sustainable communities.

“The Summit is intended to provide unique opportunities for leaders from the nation’s largest public education system to discover new ways to create healthy, efficient learning environments,” according to event organizers.

Topics to be discussed include: Landscape Irrigation: Challenges and Strategies; Southern California Water Supply and Conservation Strategies ; The Water/Energy Nexus for School Sites; Project Green: Student-Led Capital Improvement Projects; and Save Energy Costs Without Investment Fees – Solar Heating & Cooling for the Education Sector.”

“Schools are uniquely poised to open the door to a greener future,” according to event officials. “They will likely be the first place most students encounter determined efforts to conserve energy and water or to reduce waste. They can help students understand the relationships between human needs and activities and the ecosystems on which all life forms depend.”

California has long been on the leading edge of the green schools movement; it was here that the nation’s first green building rating program for K-12 schools was created. Through the Education and the Environment Initiative, the state created the country’s first K-12 environmental literacy curriculum.

Experts agree that the range of benefits from high performance school facilities is great, from cost savings that can free up funds for core educational needs to improved student performance. Districts that have already made a strong commitment to sustainability have also earned respect and gratitude from the communities they serve, officials said.

About Green Technology
Green Technology is a non-profit initiative designed to inform government efforts toward sustainability, providing a forum in which government officials can communicate with those in the private sector who are developing and distributing green technologies. With headquarters in California, Green Technology is ideally situated to stay on the leading edge. California, with the world’s eighth-largest economy, is setting the standard for state support for green technologies. With mandates for green building, renewable energy and “environmentally preferable” purchasing, California has made an unequalled commitment to a green future. For more information, please visit: http://www.green-technology.org/

About Xcel Mechanical Systems, Inc.
Xcel Mechanical Systems designs, builds and services commercial and industrial HVAC, Plumbing and Process Piping systems for clients across the Greater Los Angeles Metropolitan Area. Our cost-effective solutions make buildings more comfortable, energy efficient, and easier to manage. Our resume includes large-scale implementations across the Aerospace, Commercial, Data Center, Education, Entertainment, Government, and Healthcare sectors. For more information, please visit: www.xcelmech.com