Nov 17 2010
A lighting industry leader is stepping up to help create sustainable and healthier learning environments for children and improved teaching environments for instructors. So say organizers of The Green Schoolhouse Series about Acuity Brands (NYSE: AYI), a market leader in innovative energy efficient lighting and control solutions.
The company has pledged major funding and in-kind contributions to help build two highly modernized and sustainable schoolhouses in the City of Phoenix.
It is the objective of The Green Schoolhouse Series to achieve USGBC LEED-Platinum certification in each of the schools. Currently, there are no LEED-Platinum Certified K-12 schools built or under construction in Arizona. Solar, day lighting, acoustics, energy-efficient HVAC systems, earth-friendly wall systems and flooring, zero-VOC paints, drought-tolerant landscaping, motion detectors, and energy management systems create a "green" educational learning environment. The sustainable design, products, and components are expected to help achieve net-zero energy, resulting in no additional electricity costs.
The Green Schoolhouses are 5,000 square foot stand-alone, multi-purpose classroom and campus environments that are used for traditional educational instruction during the day and after-school programs and community meeting spaces during evenings and weekends. Each of the two themed models targets a specific student demographic; the Studio for middle schools and the Safari for elementary schools.
Acuity Brands, by providing intelligent lighting and controls solutions and needed funding for The Green Schoolhouse Series, joins some of the most respected companies in the nation including; Kraft Foods/IGA Food Stores, American Express, Xerox Corporation, Turner Construction, Weitz, Hensel Phelps Construction Company, and Kitchell Contractors.
William J. Astary, Acuity Brands Lighting Senior Vice President, Strategy Marketing and Business Development said, "Acuity Brands' support for these projects aligns perfectly with the company's sustainability goals. For decades, Acuity Brands has been giving back to the community and we're a proud supporter of The Green Schoolhouse Series. It provides kids with a modern, greener learning environment and teaches future generations about the importance of sustainability. Acuity Brands has over 70 years of experience in providing sustainable lighting solutions for schools and throughout the education industry. Today, we manufacture one of the broadest and most diverse application set of indoor and outdoor LED luminaires and integrated advanced lighting control solutions in the industry. We are meeting the needs of today and continue to invest in other sustainable technologies for tomorrow. What could be a better cause than investing in the education of our nation's children?"
Acuity Brands also announced this week that it is exhibiting many of its sustainable intelligent LED lighting and controls solutions at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo from November 17-19, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois, booth number 645.