Bliss Carman Middle School has done it again!
The school secured its third Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) ENERGY STAR Canada Award in the Building of the Year—K-12 category for being the highest ENERGY STAR certified K-12 school in Canada for 2024.
ENERGY STAR is the internationally recognized and trusted mark of high efficiency. Behind every label is a product, home, building or industrial facility that is certified to use less energy and reduce emissions that contribute to climate change. Service New Brunswick’s Tim Cross submitted the ENERGY STAR certification application on behalf of the school.
“Everyone involved in the project has worked together to make a difference—from the government, which designed the school and provided the bones of an energy-efficient building, to the district team, students, and school staff, who proudly take care of it,” said Cross, an Energy Manager with Service New Brunswick. “Everyone strives to be aware, understand their personal impact on the environment, and do better.”
The school has been recognized for the following accomplishments:
- Optimized heating and ventilation schedules and monitored space temperatures for optimum efficiency and ideal learning environments.
- Continued use of ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager® to monitor changes in the school’s energy use and provide visual feedback of successes.
- Sustained culture of energy awareness and conservation resulting in school satisfaction and pride.
“Congratulations to Bliss Carmen Middle School on being awarded a 2024 ENERGY STAR Canada award. Your efforts are driving innovation in energy efficiency, helping Canadians to save money on energy bills and contributing to the fight against climate change. The Government of Canada is very pleased to support energy efficiency solutions on our collective path to a sustainable and prosperous future,” said the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
The award-winning energy efficiency on display at Bliss Carman—a key component in Anglophone School District West’s (ASD-W) school-construction initiative—is being built into all district’s schools currently under construction, and those being planned, said ASD-W Director of Finance and Administration Shawn Tracey.
“By implementing energy-efficient practices, we aim to reduce our carbon footprint, conserve valuable resources, and inspire future generations to prioritize environmental stewardship in our school district,” Tracey said.
The needs of the school community were foremost in the minds of Bliss Carman’s designers, said Cross, “to have the greatest impact… on the people who use the building, like students, and help them achieve their commitment to conserving energy.”
“Ensuring a building works well every day means understanding how it’s supposed to work and why it was built that way,” he said. “With the help of tools and technology, the school district monitors the building to identify and fix any problems to ensure students and staff are comfortable. However, everyone has a role to play in ensuring the building operates efficiently.”