PartnerUpdate

As of May 1, 2001, Potomac

Communications Group, Inc.,

(PCG), a public relations firm

based in Washington, DC,

took over as the Marketing &

Communications (M&C) Team

Lead organization for Rebuild

America. PCG has provided marketing

communications services to Rebuild

America since 1995. 

In April of 2001, D&R International

began a process of transferring or

transitioning its responsibilities and

Rebuild America files and materials to

PCG and Aspen Systems Corp. The

three organizations have maintained

regular communications to ensure a

smooth transition.

The following will give you an idea of

how PCG will work with you as Rebuild

America’s new M&C Team Lead. 

Partnerships in need of M&C assistance

CONTENTS

REBUILD AMERICA•BUILDING AMERICA

Rebuild Louisiana Targets

EnergySmart Schools

Rebuild Louisiana, led

by Louis McArthur of

the Louisiana Department

of Natural Resources, has

launched a new program

in an effort to boost the

energy performance of K12 schools statewide. The

program brings together

local universities, K-12

schools and the latest in

energy-efficient software.

The initiative, “Creating

EnergySmart Schools in

Louisiana,” uses Federal

Energy Decision Screening

(Feds) to evaluate

buildings deemed

inefficient and

unproductive by U.S. Department of Energy/U.S Environmental Protection Agency

standards. The process is an exciting and innovative method of using new technology

to incorporate the EnergySmart Schools program into Louisiana’s ongoing conservation

and efficiency efforts in an area where the need is critical, according to McArthur. 

Feds is a fuel-neutral, technology independent, comprehensive method for quickly

and objectively identifying building energy-efficiency improvements that offer maximum

savings. The software works by estimating current energy consumption in a building

and determining the minimum life-cycle-cost retrofits to existing systems. 

Funding for the software’s production was taken from petroleum violation escrow

funds which have been frozen since the Carter administration. The Louisiana state

government allocated a portion of the funds to be administered by Rebuild Louisiana to

benefit K-12 schools. 

The partnership has awarded over $1.5 million in contracts to five universities

including Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge, The University of New Orleans,

Nicholls State University, Southern University and the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

With the help of Pacific Northwest National Laboratories, engineers trained university

program managers to use Feds to perform audits within the community at no cost.

Elective courses were created to provide students with hands-on experience in

conducting audits. Participants received credits for the audits they performed and

stipends for their work. As a result, many Rebuild Louisiana private industry partners

have recruited graduates of the program for employment after graduation.

The auditing process begins by benchmarking public schools to grade their level of

efficiency. Schools falling short of an acceptable level of efficiency are targeted for

U.S. Department of Energy • Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy www.rebuild.org • DOE/EE-0248

PCG Leads

Rebuild America

M&C Team

May – June 2001

Continued on page 4

Continued on page 10

2 Profile: Blanche Sheinkopf

3 Students Battle for

Windows

5 Henderson, NV Energy 

Training

6 Alternative Fuels

7 Housing Solutions for 

Cleveland
2 U.S. Department of Energy

Taking A Grassroots Approach To

EnergySmart Schools

Rebuild America’s

EnergySmart Schools is

evolving in new

directions with the

addition of Blanche

Sheinkopf, a long-time

educator with extensive

experience in renewable

energy education, as

coordinator. Last

February, Sheinkopf joined Larry Schoff, Rebuild America’s

K-12/EnergySmart Schools technical advisor, bringing a new

dimension to Rebuild America’s efforts to save energy in the

nation’s schools. Sheinkopf’s focus is on promoting energy

education, energy efficiency, and renewable energy in

schools by providing resources and support for K-12 teachers

and students.

Sheinkopf comes to Rebuild America with sterling

credentials. Prior to joining EnergySmart Schools, she

coordinated education and training programs at the Florida

Solar Energy Center, where she developed award-winning

education materials. She has been a K-12 classroom teacher,

teacher trainer, science program coordinator, and curriculum

development specialist for more than 20 years. 

Through EnergySmart Schools, Sheinkopf is directing an

energy education campaign at teachers, students and parents

instead of approaching facility managers and others on the

“building” side. “Teachers, parents and students are a largely

untapped resource for Rebuild America’s energy-saving

efforts,” Sheinkopf says. “We’ve adopted a grassroots

approach to building awareness about energy efficiency and

energy issues and to incorporating energy lessons into the

curriculum and other school activities. This strategy is one

that we’ll be able to replicate nationally."

Sheinkopf makes EnergySmart Schools presentations to

teachers, administrators, industry professionals and

community groups whenever possible in an effort to build

alliances and partnerships. Schools that offer an energy

education component open up hands-on opportunities for

students to learn about renewable energy and energy

efficiency, according to Sheinkopf. She notes that

EnergySmart Schools will help to develop and support an

energy education program for schools that are actively

pursuing energy retrofits to buildings as well as those that are

not, since energy improvements may be implemented at

some point.

“Our greatest challenge is to successfully and effectively get

the word out,” she says. “Many states mandate that energy

be taught, yet there isn’t much in the way of current material

to support this. I find that teachers are desperate for this

kind of information. My role is to get materials to the

schools so teachers are prepared to teach students about

energy.” 

One of those tools is the newly released “Get Smart about

Energy” CD. The CD is designed to help teachers

incorporate energy education materials into their lessons.

Sheinkopf also views her new post as an opportunity to

make other Rebuild America players active in the K-12 sector

aware of the results that can be achieved by directing some

of their efforts to teachers, students and parents, rather than

focusing only on facility managers, business officials, and

school boards. 

Sheinkopf has been instrumental in developing four energy

education curriculum units. Two of these units received

Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) Innovation

Awards in 1999 and 2000. Sheinkopf herself was honored for

her work in bringing solar energy to schools through projects

and curriculum development at IREC’s 2001 Solar Energy

Forum on April 24.

A former educator who taught pre-kindergarten through

sixth grade in Florida, New York,

Pennsylvania and Maryland, Sheinkopf

has served on the College of Education

faculty at American University, The

George Washington University and the

University of Central Florida. She also

was an educational consultant for the

National Geographic Society’s Solar

Energy unit. 

Sheinkopf serves on the Energy and

Society Advisory Committee for Project

Learning Tree, the Curriculum Committee

of the National Energy Education

Development Project and on the board

of the Education Division of the

American Solar Energy Society. She is also chair of an

international conference on renewable energy education to

be held in Orlando, FL next year. 

Sheinkopf lives in Indian Harbour Beach, FL with her

husband, Kenneth, who is associate director of the Florida

Solar Energy Center and a nationally syndicated columnist on

energy efficiency. She enjoys travel, bicycling, walking and

spending time with their two sons, Adam and Jeff. 

For more information, contact Blanche Sheinkopf at 

321-779-3768 or bsheinkopf@aol.com.

PARTNER PROFILE

Blanche Sheinkopf

“Our greatest

challenge is to

successfully and

effectively get the

word out.” 

– Blanche Sheinkopf
All indications point to the fact that the nation’s

energy crisis will have a continuing and significant

economic impact on communities. Earlier this year, the

U.S. Conference of Mayors called for a 10 percent,

across-the-board reduction in energy use in America's

cities and communities. Can such community-based

efforts to save energy actually make a difference? The

answer is a resounding “Yes!” Rebuild America serves

as a prime example. 

Seventy-five percent of Rebuild America partnerships

have reported the results of their efforts to save energy

in their communities to the U.S. Department of Energy

(DOE), and the news is good. In fact, the Rebuild

America program has saved enough energy every year

to power a city of 100,000 homes. Since the program’s

inception in 1995, through 2000, DOE’s total investment

of $36 million in Rebuild America has resulted in:

• $94 million in annual total energy savings

• $428 million in capital investment

• energy-efficiency improvements to over 300 million

square feet of floorspace

• an additional 450 million square feet in projects

committed or underway will generate 

- $600 million in new capital investment 

- $140 million in annual savings

• 335 community partnerships in 51 states and

territories.

• energy-saving efforts in over 1,000 schools

• annual energy savings of $14.35 for every DOE

dollar invested

• private investment of $11.80 for every DOE dollar 

Results such as these help demonstrate the economic

impact that Rebuild America partnerships are having in

their communities. Equally important are the

environmental benefits that result in terms of avoided

emissions whenever the demand to generate energy

from the burning of fossil fuels is reduced. With the

eyes of the nation focused on energy issues, there is no

time like the present for Rebuild America partnerships

to advance their energy-saving agendas and their

outreach efforts to involve more segments of the

community. Opportunity is knocking. Are you ready?

Daniel Sze is National Program Manager of Rebuild

America.

View From DC

By Daniel Sze

K-8 students at the Buist Academy in Charleston, SC had

been living with windowless classrooms since the 1970s, when

windows in the school were removed in a misguided attempt

to keep the sun’s heat out of the classrooms. The windows

were replaced with metal glazing. 

In addition to creating a bleak learning environment, the

lack of windows created a whole host of problems that ranged

from inadequate lighting to mold and mildew from high

humidity and poor ventilation, says Mel Goodwin, executive

director of the Harmony Project, a Rebuild America

partnership. 

But things are looking

brighter at the school

these days, with the

installation of five new

high-performance

windows in one

classroom, thanks to the

efforts of a sixth grade

class at Buist Academy

and support from the

Harmony Project and

others in the community.

It all started last

September, when a class

of 25 sixth graders at this

school for gifted and

talented students learned

about the positive impact

that daylit classrooms can

have on academic

performance and health, and decided to embark on a class

project to get windows installed in their classroom. Their

efforts came to fruition on May 21 with the installation of new

spectrally selective windows that let the light in while keeping

the heat at bay.

How exactly, did a group of sixth graders make this happen?

For starters, they had the dedicated support of their teacher,

Angela Blaylock, to guide them. Mel Goodwin and Harmony

Project served as a technical resource for the students, teaching

them how to evaluate humidity, air flow and lighting

conditions in their classroom and assisting them with the

selection of glazing for the windows. One lesson they learned

was that simply running a window air conditioner in the

classroom was not enough to provide adequate air circulation,

Goodwin says. Students discovered the science that confirmed

what they already knew: that the physical condition of their

Donuts For Daylight:

Students Win Battle

For Windows 

U.S. Department of Energy 3

Continued on page 11

Metal glazing instead of windows: Sixth grade

classroom at Buist Academy prior to window

installation.
4 U.S. Department of Energy

Rebuild America and

Henderson, NV Combat 

Energy Problems

further assessment using the Feds software. The software

offers specific suggestions for replacing building components

and can be used as a guideline for preparing contracting

proposals. After contractors are selected, Rebuild Louisiana

provides alternative financing options and employs strategic

business partners to successfully complete the project.

Schools that exceed the benchmarked level of efficiency are

provided with the engineering work necessary to apply for

the ENERGY STAR® label for schools. 

To date, Rebuild Louisiana is responsible for audits

performed on 106 buildings representing 3.4 million square

feet and energy-saving measures are being installed.

Completed retrofits costing $6.7 million are expected to yield

Continued from page 1

Rebuild Louisiana Targets EnergySmart Schools

With the energy crisis in California alarmingly close to

home, Henderson, NV, one of the nation’s fastest growing

cities, hosted 21 employee training sessions on energy

efficiency and awareness from May 2–4. The program was

offered to 2000 city employees and focused on effective

practices that conserve energy at the workplace and in 

the home. 

The project also included an Energy Roundtable in which

City of Henderson and Department of Energy officials and

Rebuild America members addressed various energy issues

such as high consumption rates and long- and short-term

efficiency measures. “The success of the City of Henderson

and its partnership with Rebuild America shows how we can

tap resources of our various programs to meet the needs of

major communities such as Henderson,” said Paul Johnson,

assistant director of DOE’s Seattle regional office who

participated in the Energy Roundtable. “These training

sessions for city employees and the new programs being

tried are truly unique. I applaud the mayor and city council

for taking the steps to make the City of Henderson a leader

in energy awareness.” 

The sessions and the Energy Roundtable discussion

produced numerous ideas for conserving energy beyond the

city’s current energy assessments. Proposals addressed lowcost simplistic measures such as posting signs to remind

people to turn off lights and appliances as well as more

sophisticated procedures like auditing all city facilities for

energy efficiency. In the long term, the City has committed

to developing a

comprehensive

strategic plan that

encompasses all

energy-saving and

emergency plans.

When complete,

the plan will be

presented to the

Henderson City

Council for

adoption. 

The Energy Roundtable and employee training sessions

enjoyed impressive media attention from local press with

stories appearing in The Henderson View, The Henderson

Home News, The Las Vegas Review Journal and The Las Vegas

Sun, and on television news stations including KVVU, KTNV

and KINC. Business Partner Team Leader Doug Avery and

Rebuild America Program Representative Mel Powers

presented the energy training sessions to city employees.

Avery reports that five other communities in California

have expressed interest in arranging similar training for their

government employees. He is exploring opportunities for

Rebuild America Business Partners to spearhead the next

training sessions.

For more information, contact Doug Avery at

davery@lbl.gov or 310-798-6927.

over $1 million in savings. By providing schools free

assistance with formulating an energy management action

plan, the partnership expects to work with one new school

per month over the next two years, according to McArthur. 

Preliminary estimates of savings based on the average

school in Louisiana suggest that the energy retrofits could

result in a 20-to-25 percent reduction in energy consumption.

McArthur points out that these savings could be used to

increase teacher salaries, purchase educational supplies and

strengthen core curriculums.

For more information, contact Louis McArthur at

LouisM@dnr.state.la.us 

The Las Vegas Review Journal

was among several Nevada newspapers

covering the Henderson event.
U.S. Department of Energy 5

Kingston City School District's three-year partnership with

Rebuild America, led by Bob Cunningham, has turned out

to be a highly productive alliance. When Partner Update

featured Kingston in the Fall of 1999, the school district had

effectively implemented an in-depth, multi-phased project

that saved over $200,000 in utility costs, decreasing energy

bills by over 20 percent in its first year alone.

The first step was a people-oriented conservation program,

designed by Energy Education, Inc., of Wichita Falls, TX,

which included hiring an energy manager, and thorough

training of all district personnel. This education plan was

followed and reinforced by the replacement or repair of

existing energy systems in the district's 1.2 million square feet

of space. The project was designed, financed and managed

by the New York Power Authority (NYPA). This work

involved completely replacing, or retrofitting old lighting

systems, replacing four boiler rooms with pulse boilers,

installing a digitally controlled energy management system to

control HVAC systems, replacing steam traps and inefficient

motors, and installing new high-efficiency windows in three

buildings. Construction began in August of 1999 and

proceeded ahead of schedule with substantial completion in

November of 2000.

To date, $6.9 million has been spent on upgrades and

training with a cost avoidance of over $1.1 million. The

Energy Education program paid for itself in only 2-1/2 years,

and the NYPA program will pay back in well under 10 years

at present energy costs, according to Cunningham. Kingston

City School District has saved 5.6 million kWh and 975

million Btu to date, reports Cunningham. The retrofits have

also helped shave carbon dioxide emissions by over 5

million pounds.

U.S. Senator Hillary

Rodham Clinton has

announced a bill based on

Kingston School District

initiatives to help schools

become more energy efficient

during a visit with school

district officials and students on

May 29.

“The Kingston City School

District has established itself as

a community leader in energy

conservation and as a role

model for other schools,

businesses and families,” says

Assistant to the Superintendent

for Business Philip J. Sinagra.

“Students take an active

interest in saving energy and

bring this enthusiasm home to parents. The school district

has saved energy and dollars, enabling us to redirect these

savings to enhance school curriculums, materials and the

overall learning environment.”

The Kingston School District has been recognized in

American School Board Journal, Energy Manager and

Energy User News, and has received an ENERGY STAR® Business

Partner of the Year Award for 2001.

For more information about the Kingston School District

energy conservation program, contact Bob Cunningham at

bcunningham@kingstoncityschools.org.

Kingston City School District Improves Quality

of Living And Learning

PARTNER-AT-A-GLANCE

A boiler room in the newly

renovated Kingston School

District

Rebuild America Briefs

The National Energy Education Development (NEED)

Project, a Rebuild America EnergySmart Schools Strategic

Partner that promotes energy education in K-12 schools, will

honor student leaders across the country at its Annual Youth

Awards Program for Energy Achievement on June 22-25 in

Arlington, VA. Visit www.need.org for details.

Rebuild America is co-sponsoring a workshop on

energy performance contracting for public housing

authorities on June 25-29 in Chicago. Leading experts will

present step-by-step active learning exercises and use a casestudy approach to give participants the tools to implement a

performance contract in their housing authority. Contact

Mark Ternes at ternesmp@ornl.gov.

Rebuild America formalized a Strategic Partner

agreement with Public Technologies, Inc. (PTI) and its

affiliate organizations on May 31. The signing ceremony

recognized the working relationship between Rebuild

America and PTI and its affiliates, including the National

League of Cities, the National Association of Counties,

and the International City and County Managers

Association. 
TECHNOLOGY/BEST PRACTICES

6 U.S. Department of Energy

Rebuild Duke University

Facilities hasn’t missed a

beat in making it’s campus

one of the most energy

efficient around. Having

already completed 3.5

million square feet of

lighting retrofits and taking

measures to significantly

conserve water supply, the

partnership, with Joe

Jackson as one of its

leaders, has begun to

explore alternative fuel

sources for use in campus

vehicles. Compressed

natural gas (CNG) is a more

efficient fuel that pollutes

less than petroleum. Currently

Duke has 16 CNG vehicles

fueled on campus by a slow-fill

station that can fill two vehicles at a time, requiring 12 hours

each. Plans are developing to construct a fast-fill station with

a much larger tank and compressor. This new facility will

power 20 vehicles a day which will take only five minutes 

per car.

Duke Facilities Management is finalizing the funding source

for this project, and is occupied with other efficiency projects,

such as reducing water consumption, updating steam plant

operations, producing a chilled water plant and performing

lighting retrofits. 

Alternative Fuel in Ohio

Duke is not alone among partnerships in its exploration of

alternative fuel sources for vehicles. 1500 Days: The Central

Ohio Rebuild America Project, led by Glen Kizer, has

facilitated the installation of an E85 pump at a Speedway

gasoline station in the Columbus suburb of Hilliard. E85, a

renewable fuel that is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent

unleaded gasoline, is approved by the US Department of

Energy, and in compliance with the 1992 Environmental Policy

Act. It burns cleaner than traditional gasoline, has shown no

ill effects on car performance or engine wear and costs about

the same as the lowest grade of unleaded gasoline.

To date, the fuel primarily has been used in cars and trucks

that are purchased by fleets, both government and private,

according to Kizer. For example, the U.S. Post Office is

buying thousands of E85 delivery trucks – basically Ford

Explorers – for neighborhoods nationwide. Some post offices

in Columbus are beginning to install their own pumps, but, in

Hilliard, the post office vehicles will fill up with E85 at the

local Speedway. The next pump is to be installed near the

Ohio State Department of Natural Resources where there are

hundreds of compatible vehicles with no convenient fuel

source, Kizer says. 

“The hope is that many people will begin taking their

personal cars and trucks to these stations to fill up on E85,” he

says. Many well known commercial vehicles also accept the

fuel, including the Ford Taurus, Ford Ranger, the Chevy S10

Pickup and the Chrysler Minivans. 

Funds for this project were provided by the Ohio Corn

Growers Association and Marathon Oil. The Ohio Energy

Office and the City of Columbus Health Department provided

technical assistance. 

For more information about Rebuild Duke’s CNG project,

email Joe Jackson at joe.jackson@duke.edu. For more

information about the E85 fuel, contact Glen Kizer at

gkizer@columbus.rr.com.

Partnerships Explore

Alternative Fuels

Rebuild America in the News 

The May 2001 issue of Energy User News featured a 

3-page spread titled “Rebuild America: Partnerships 

for the Future.” The article by Dan Sze explores all

aspects of Rebuild America, providing an overview of

partnership activities in local and state government

buildings, commercial buildings, public and multifamily housing, K-12 schools and higher education.

Sidebar stories about Energy Champions focus on

Cyane Dandridge and Leanne Hoadley and their

work with Rebuild Presidio and on Glen Kizer of

1500 Days: The Central Ohio Energy Efficiency

Project. The story can be accessed on the Energy

User News magazine web site: 

www.energyusernews.com. 

The first E85 Pump was installed at

the Speedway gasoline station in

Hilliard, OH.
Building America Finds

Housing Solutions For

Cleveland

NEW CONSTRUCTION

A new kind 

of home can 

be found on 

E. 71st Street in

Cleveland’s Slavic

Village neighborhood. From the outside it looks like many of

the other wood-frame homes in the neighborhood. But once

inside, one can see the special design features that make it

the city’s first affordable “green” home – a home that can

heat for less than $300 a year and that provides a remarkably

healthy indoor environment for its owners.

The 2,200-square-foot home was constructed recently by

GreenBuilt Homes, Ltd., a local partnership comprised of Jim

LaRue, Phil Davis, Carlton Rush and Tesco Builders, Inc.

Building Science Consortium designed the building with

support from the Building America program of the U.S.

Department of Energy. 

The house features: 

• A tight building envelope to seal cracks and minimize

heat gain or loss. Details include a well-insulated outer

wall and high-efficiency windows with double glazing.

• Energy-conserving insulation, including insulated subslab

and foundation walls under the house and a roof with 

R-30 insulation between the rafters, R-5 styrofoam

insulation on the inside of the rafters, and R-38 cellulose

insulation in the collar beam area.

• Healthy building materials, such as kitchen countertops

made of straw bonded together with resins that don’t

emit hazardous volatile organic compounds. Low-toxic

U.S. Department of Energy 7

paints were used throughout the house, and materials

made of particle board were sealed to reduce chances of

chemical emissions.

• Water-saving devices installed on sinks, showers, and

bath tubs. 

• Energy-efficient, compact fluorescent lighting throughout

the house

• Roof with a southern exposure, not visible from the

street, that has been designed for future installation of

photovoltaic panels

• Wiring for phone and cable service in each room for

maximum space flexibility

• Recycled materials, including carpeting made of 

recycled plastic bottles and siding made of 90 percent

recycled vinyl

The Building Science Consortium reports that the house is

so well insulated and efficient that it can be heated by the

hot water tank. Total energy consumption for heating is less

than a third of a conventional house. Yet the rooms are

spacious and flooded with natural light. 

Two additional GreenBuilt Homes based on these design

features are underway in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood

as part of the Cleveland EcoVillage project. The Detroit

Shoreway Community Development Organization, with

technical support from the Building Science Consortium, is

also designing a 20-unit housing development along W. 58th

Street for the EcoVillage’s first major housing initiative.

EcoCity Cleveland received funding from the George Gund

Foundation and the Cleveland Foundation assisted with the

design of the development. 

For further information contact Building Science

Consortium, www.buildingscience.com/buildamerica.html or

EcoCity Cleveland, www.ecocleveland.org; phone 

216-932-3007.

Portions of this article reprinted with permission from the

EcoCity Cleveland Journal

Partnership Leaders

in the News

Rebuild America Energy Champion Award recipients were

interviewed by seven hometown radio stations, including

several National Public radio affiliates, during the Rebuild

America National Forum in Atlanta. Here is a roundup of

quotes from those interviews:

“I want young people to encourage their parents that

energy efficiency is the right thing and the most economical

thing to do... I realized that fourth and fifth graders could do

my job and perform energy audits. So I started teaching John Root takes to the airwaves at the National Forum in Atlanta. Continued on page 11
“Learning from Light/Ohio Schools

Going Solar” project blends energy

efficiency and education by teaching

students how to read the energy

output of solar photovoltaic arrays

and monitor the energy consumption

of their own schools. The

Foundation for Environmental

Education, led by Glen Kizer of the

1500 Days Central Ohio partnership,

spearheads the project which is cosponsored by the Ohio Department

of Development’s Office of Energy

Efficiency (ODOD/OEE) and the

Ohio Energy Project, all partners of

Rebuild Ohio. 

Participating schools receive a

$3,000 grant from the ODOD/OEE

which covers about one third of the

complete installation costs of a 1-

kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) array that

ties into the schools’ utility grid,

according to Tom Maves of

ODOD/OEE, who leads this effort

with Elaine Barnes, formerly of the

Ohio Energy Project (OEP) and now

with ODOD/OEE. The remaining

funds needed are generated by

community fundraising.

Students participating in “Learning

from Light” use electronic monitoring

equipment that feeds data into

computers, purchased as part of the

solar array to read the output of their

particular array. Twelve schools

currently participate in the project,

with 20 others in the planning stages

to install PV arrays before December

2001, Maves says.

Creating Excitement about

Learning

“Learning from Light” also teaches

children tips about energy efficiency

and enhances the physical science

programs for teachers in the lower

and middle school levels, Barnes

says. “Teachers can more easily

integrate solar and other forms of

energy into their existing curriculum

while learning about solar

photovoltaics and generating reports

from the monitoring equipment,” she

says. “The array invigorates teachers

and students, providing innovative

ways to introduce modern technology

and physical science into the science

classroom. This has created

excitement among students about

science and has led to an increase in

student performance in the science

portion of the Ohio Proficiency Test.” 

The program incorporates three

stages to ensure that the progress is

ongoing. The first stage focuses on

creating awareness among students

about what a solar array is, what it

does, and how it functions in their

school. This is enforced in the

second stage through curricula that

incorporate materials about what can

be done with solar energy. Finally,

teachers collaborate with OEP to

create tailored activities that tie solar

energy concepts into mainstream

curriculum areas where teachers may

be searching for new ideas and

activities.

“Learning from Light” has been well

received by participating communities

and has prompted a significant level

of public awareness of the value of

solar and other alternative energy

sources. Six

celebrations for

completed

installations are

scheduled for 

this fall. The

community has

taken notice and

followed the lead

set by “Learning

from Light” as

well. The City

of Cuyahoga

Falls partnership

has installed

eight decorative

bus stops with

integrated solar

powered lights

between their

city and Akron. 

In March, Rebuild America

recognized the Ohio Energy Project

with an Energy Champion Award for

its first-rate efforts to save energy in

Ohio’s K-12 schools. And in April,

the Foundation for Environmental

Education received a 2001 Innovation

Award from the Interstate Renewable

Energy Council (IREC) for this

program.

For more information about the

“Learning from Light,” project, contact

Elaine Barnes, ebarnes@

odod.state.oh.us or Tom Maves,

tmaves@odod.state.oh.us.

TECHNOLOGY/BEST PRACTICES

8 U.S. Department of Energy

“Learning from Light”: An Ohio Success Story

Photovoltaic panel arrays at Worthingway Middle School in Worthington, OH. 

“The (photovoltaic)

array invigorates

teachers and

students, providing

innovative ways to

introduce modern

technology and

physical science

into the classroom.”

– Elaine Barnes
“The Solar Patriot,” the country’s first solar modular home,

occupied a high-visibility locale on the Mall in Washington,

DC during Earth Day festivities in April. The featured home

was a highlight of the Sustainable Buildings Industry

Council’s (SBIC) Forum 2001, Solar Energy: The Power to

Choose, which was sponsored by the U.S. Department of

Energy, BP Solar and Duke Solar. 

The home showcases high-performance windows, energyefficient space conditioning equipment, passive solar design

strategies, an integrated photovoltaic (PV) system, a domestic

solar hot water system, high-efficiency lights and appliances,

and a host of sustainable, market-ready components and

systems. The Solar Patriot operates on two different PV

systems – building integrated photovoltaic shingles and lowU.S. Department of Energy 9

Solar Patriot Unveiled

For Earth Day

profile solar panels that provide enough power for the home

to produce more electricity than it uses, on average. (Note:

The home can’t operate independently of the grid unless a

large battery storage system or a propane backup generator

or both are added to the home. The PV only produces

electricity during sunny conditions.) The Building America

and ENERGY STAR® programs will monitor the Solar Patriot’s

performance at its permanent site in Leesburg, VA.

The two-story, four-bedroom, 3,000 square-foot house has

6 kilowatts of PV modules which produce enough power to

support the demand for all electricity usage in the home,

according to SBIC. A solar hot water system provides hot

water for the home. And though it costs more to install

insulation in the Solar Patriot compared to a traditionally

constructed house, the increase usually pays for itself in a

few years. The energy-efficient lighting and appliances work

with the “whole building design” to cut the home’s overall

energy consumption by 40 percent.

A benefit of this energy-producing home is that its owners

can sell unused solar energy back to the utility for use in the

clean power market. Thirty-two states have already passed

legislation enabling net metering for individual homeowners

who produce their own power. Other renewable energy

and sustainable design features of the Solar Patriot are:

• Double pane low-E windows that provide maximum

insulation to hold heat in the winter and air conditioning

in the summer

• Highly efficient ENERGY STAR® appliances

• Energy-efficient lighting 

• Solar electric roofing shingles

• Electric grid interconnection and inverters

• High-performance ground-coupled heat pump

For more information about The Solar Patriot, contact 

the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council at

swamedia@swinter.com. Visit the Building America web 

site at www.eren.doe.gov/buildings/building-america.

Rebuild Buffalo-Niagara

Joins Earth Day Event

Rebuild America joined 65 groups providing educational

information to participants at the Western New York Earth

Day 2001 celebration held at the Buffalo State College Sports

Arena on April 22. The event drew 1,500 participants. The

Erie County Department of Environment and Planning,

partner of Rebuild Buffalo-Niagara (NY), was a local

sponsor of the event. Other sponsors included Buffalo State

College, Center for Great Lakes Environmental Education, the

City of Buffalo, Clean Communities of Western New York,

Great Lakes United, New York Public Interest Group, New

York League of Conservation Voters, New York State

Department of Environmental Conservation, and Western

New York Land Conservancy.

The theme for the event was “Our Water, Our Future.”

Milwaukee, WI, Mayor John Norquist delivered a keynote

address about revitalizing America’s cities. Isabell Berger

and Mark Mitskovski of the Erie County Department of

Environment and Planning and Rebuild Buffalo-Niagara,

reported that they spoke with scores of people throughout

the day-long celebration about available energy-efficiency

and conservation opportunities. Educational materials,

ranging from energy-efficient lighting catalogs to specific

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

program opportunities, were distributed. Topics such as

Green Design, Flex Tech Services, EnergySmart Schools,

Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Building Community Support

for Energy Efficiency were addressed.

For more information about the event, contact Isabell

Berger at bergeri@bflo.co.erie.ny.us 

The Solar Patriot was unveiled in Washington, DC for Earth Day and

moved to its permanent residence in Leesburg, VA in April.
10 U.S. Department of Energy

Peer Exchange In

Austin Draws 50

The Denver Regional Peer

Exchange, held May 7-9 in Austin, TX,

drew 50 participants including local

community and state leaders. Rev.

Marvin C. Griffin, chairman of the

East Austin Economic Development

Corp., lead organization of Rebuild

Austin, opened the session with a

prayer for a fruitful meeting to bring

about environmentally responsible

community energy-efficiency

solutions. Austin City Council

Member Danny Thomas addressed Austin’s commitment to

energy efficiency and to building upon the successes of

Rebuild Austin, Rebuild America’s celebrated 250th

partnership. 

Texas State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) Director

William “Dub” Taylor addressed SECO’s role as a statewide

promoter of energy efficiency and provider of energy

management services. SECO is the lead organization in

Rebuild Texas. Rebuild America Program Representative

Cyane Dandridge of Strategic Energy Innovations kept

the energy level up, information flowing and the pace

moving as Peer Exchange facilitator. 

Denver Regional Office Team Leader Dave Waltzman and

Jim Ploger of the Kansas Corporation Commission,

supported by a panel of four partnership leaders, probed

how state and community partnerships can effectively tap

into Rebuild America resources. Another panel explored the

services provided by Rebuild America Strategic Partners,

Business Partners, Marketing & Communications and

Customer Service, while another tackled Partnership

Challenges and Solutions. Special thanks go to Deborah

Lamm of Aspen Systems for her skillful behind-the-scene

coordination of event logistics.

For more information, contact Cyane Dandridge at

cyane@cyane.com or 415-507-1623.

William “Dub” Taylor

From left: Peter Alexander, Rebuild New Mexico; Gene Bustamante,

Rebuild Central New Mexico; Cyane Dandridge, facilitator; and George

McLean, College Station ISD

are encouraged to contact their representatives first. Program

Team representatives, including program, state, regional and

Management Team representatives, should contact PCG

directly with requests for assistance. Direct your requests to

PCG Program Director Elise G. Rand, who is managing the

M&C Team: erand@pcgpr.com or rebuildamerica@pcgpr.com.

Phone 202-466-7391 ext. 1125.

When PCG receives a request, we will:

• Log in the request to enable us to track it and ensure that

appropriate action was taken

• Respond promptly

• Assign appropriate staff to assignment, based on skills set

• Deliver required services 

• If we cannot help you, we’ll make every effort to direct

you to a resource that can

• For materials and guidebooks, continue to contact the

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse

(EREC): 1-800-363-3732.

• PCG will maintain a small supply of materials and

guidebooks to accommodate urgent requests for quick

turnaround items

Types of Marketing & Communications

Assistance:

• Editorial/Writing

• Graphic Design and Production

• Partnership Close-Ups

• Brochure and Guidebook Development

• Media Relations

• Media Training

• Web Site Support

• Event Support

• Conference/Exhibiting Materials

• Presentations

• Marketing Support

• Public Relations Counsel

• Special Assignments 

PCG will continue to produce Partner Update. We are also

producing the Flash Report on a biweekly schedule. Please

send news items and photos for Partner Update and material

for the Flash Report to Maureen O’Brien at

mobrien@pcgpr.com. Phone: 202-466-7391 ext. 1139.

PCG is excited about this opportunity and looks forward to

working with you!

Potomac Communications Group, Inc. • 2025 M Street, NW,

Suite 350, Washington, DC 20036 • Phone: 202-466-7391 

Fax: 202-429-0365 • Email: rebuildamerica@pcgpr.com

Continued from page 1

Potomac Communications Group Leads Rebuild

America M&C Team
Continued from page 3

Donuts for Daylight: Students Win Battle for Windows in Classroom

classroom was substandard and that

the installation of windows could go

a long way toward improving

conditions. 

In addition to learning about the

science of indoor air quality and the

role windows can play, the students

learned important lessons about

fundraising, marketing and

perseverance. The students

spearheaded a “Donuts for Daylight”

campaign to help raise the funds

needed for the new windows. Jack

Hoey of Coastal Glass Distributors in

Charleston, gave a big boost

to their efforts by donating

the window glazing and

materials and matching the

funds raised by the students.

The students also produced

a PowerPoint presentation

about their project and

presented it to a local

women’s club, which in turn,

contributed to the window

campaign. 

Goodwin notes that the

new windows will result in a

greatly improved and

healthier learning

environment for the students.

Two of the five windows

installed are operable, which will

help alleviate air flow and ventilation

problems, he says. 

The students’ success in getting

windows in their classroom has been

motivational for other students at

Buist, who are eager to replicate the

success of the sixth graders and have

windows installed in their classrooms

as well. 

The Harmony Project in

Charleston is a nonprofit advocate

for sustainable development and

high-performance buildings.

Improving the deteriorating

condition of Charleston County

public schools is a special focus of

the Harmony Project, a proponent of

healthy learning environments for

children.

For more information contact Mel

Goodwin at 843-577-2103 or email

mgoodwi8@bellsouth.com.

Window installers let the light in at Buist Academy.

Sixth graders acclimate to their new windowed environment.

U.S. Department of Energy 11

them. By sharing the work with

students, we can cover the whole

community.” – John Root, Rebuild

Muscatine, IA, interview with KWPC-AM

radio.

“We teach teachers and students

about energy efficiency. Sometimes we

work with the engineers who are doing

the repairs. In some cases we work

with the students to recommend

repairs...We also work with students in

a Gifted and Talented Program in

Columbus Public Schools. We teach

them about energy efficiency and they

teach the other kids in the school.

They learn what goes into an energyefficient building and compare the

schools that have made in

improvements with ones that have

not.” – Elaine Barnes, representing the

Ohio Energy Project in an interview

with WTVN-AM radio.

“We are making energy-efficiency

improvements to 81 buildings and

using the savings to self fund a central

plant for water distribution...once

people head down this path and see

how they can control their facilities,

wonderful things can happen.” – Brett

Hunter, CMS Viron Energy Services,

ESCO for University of Utah, interview

with KUER-FM radio.

“We’re funding all the improvements

without increasing the budget. While

energy costs are rising, we’re getting

more efficiencies in place and seeing a

tremendous decrease in consumption.”

– Bernell Loveridge, Utah Office of

Energy Services, joint interview with

Brett Hunter on KUER-FM radio.

“The County Executive has endorsed

this partnership between NYSERDA

and Rebuild America to improve

municipal and private sector buildings.

We’re doing this for reasons that have

to do with quality of life, because it is

ecologically and environmentally

beneficial to save energy in buildings.”

– Mark Mitskovski, Rebuild Niagara

Frontier, interview with WBFO radio.

Continued from page 7

Partnership Leaders in the News
Rebuild America is a

network of partnerships –

focused on communities –

that save money by saving

energy. These voluntary partnerships choose to

improve the quality of life where they live, work

and play through energy efficiency. Rebuild

America supports them with customized

assistance backed by technical and business

experts and resources.

Published bimonthly by the U.S. Department

of Energy to report on Rebuild America

activities, Partner Update now incorporates

news from Building America and High

Performance Buildings, energy-efficiency

initiatives of the Office of Building Technology,

State and Community Programs.

REBUILD AMERICA 

Office of Building Technology, 

State and Community Programs

U.S. Department of Energy

1000 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20585-0121

Address Correction Requested

Check Us Out: www.rebuild.org or 1-800-DOE-3732

Upcoming Events

High

Performance

BUILDINGS

New Partnerships for 2001

Andrews County, TX

Annapolis Housing Authority, MD

Boise City, IA

City Cafe & Billiards, Inc., MS

City of Jackson, MS

City of Marianna, MS

Deschutes County SWEEP, OR

Energy Efficiency in Education, AL

Hagerstown Housing Authority, MD

Historic Hattiesburg Downtown Association, MS

Housing Authority of the City of Springfield, MO

Independent School District 728, MN

Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc., AZ

Jasper County Industrial Foundation, IN

Lakeland School Corporation, IN

Main Street Columbia, Inc., MS

Marion County Public Schools, FL

Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians

Newport News Redevelopment and Housing Authority, VA

Rebuild Altheimer, AR

Rebuild Caldwell School District, OH

Rebuild Gentry, AR

Rebuild Houston, TX

Rebuild Rahway Housing, NJ

Rebuild the Dalles Schools, OR

Rebuild USAO, OK

Rebuild West Contra Costa USD, CA

Roanoke County Schools, VA

Rockdale County Public Schools, GA

San Antonio Public Housing Authority, TX

Sheldon Jackson College, NV

Somersworth Housing Authority, NH

June

25-29 Energy Performance Contracting

Workshop, Chicago, IL. Visit

www.uic.edu/sph/glakes/ce. 

July

1 Renewable Energy 2001, Stakis Brighton

Metropole Hotel, Brighton, UK. Visit

www.reedexpo.com.

8-11 Southeastern Regional Council of the

National Association of Housing &

Redevelopment Officials Annual

Conference, Harbor Beach Marriot, Fort

Lauderdale, FL. Visit http://www.sercnahro.org/public_pages/fall_conference.asp.

16-17 Fuel Cells for Transportation: Developing

Viable Fuel Cell Product and Hydrogen

Infrastructure, Allerton Crowne Plaza,

Chicago, IL. Visit www.iqpc.com/NA-1558-

01/NHP-TM.

22-24 “Moving Beyond Boundries,” The

Association of Higher Education Facilities

Officers (APPA) 2001 Educational

Conference and 88th Annual Meeting,

Queen Elizabeth Hotel & Palais des Congres

de Montreal, Montreal, CA. Visit

stet://www/appa/org/education/calendar.html.

To submit news or story ideas, contact: 

Maureen O’Brien, 202-466-7391, or email

mobrien@pcgpr.com