The
Kenton County School District received a $2 million boost from the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act that will help take a new school's energy needs off the grid. The money will go towards the the purchase and installation of solar panels that will help offset the school's energy needs.
The new $30 million school is slated to open this August in time for the 2010-2011 school year, and is located near the existing Turkey Foot Middle School in Edgewood. Once complete, the new Turkey Foot Middle School will house more than 600 students and become a part of the district's campus that includes Caywood Elementary School and the J.D. Patton Area Technology Center.
In addition to the solar panels, the new school will also boast a variety of other green features that will help reduce its energy demand and overall carbon footprint. These features include a vegetative roof, gray water collection systems, special lighting systems and geothermal heating and cooling systems.
School district officials hope the green building measures pay off by eventually making it one of the first
"Net Zero Energy" schools in all of Kentucky.
Writer:
Randy A. SimesPhotography by Tiffani FisherStay connected by following Randy on Twitter
@UrbanCincy
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