Freehold Regional Schools Chop Energy Use 31% Since September

FREEHOLD, NJ - The Freehold Regional High School District is reporting its most successful year to date in regard to its energy conservation efforts. Since its partnership with sustainability company Cenergistic this past September, the district has seen a 31 percent decrease in total energy use.

The above-average energy reduction equates to avoiding carbon emissions produced by 8 million miles of automobile travel, according to a news release from the school district.

“Our Cenergistic partnership has resulted in our district conserving energy effectively within our buildings. The collaboration has also aided us in ensuring the safety of our students and staff during the ongoing pandemic,” said Sean Boyce, Assistant Superintendent for Business Administration at Freehold Regional High School District. “The success of this program goes beyond energy conservation."

Since 1986, Cenergistic has partnered with over 1,400 educational, municipal and medical organizations to reach $5.8 billion in savings. The company touts a combination of organizational behavior-based strategies and smart software to optimize energy efficiency.

In partnership with the school district, Cenergistic experts have audited energy-using systems across the organization to achieve peak efficiency. The project included the appointment of an Energy Specialist, who tracked energy consumption at all campuses with state-of-the-art technology to identify areas of waste and drive conservation.

Throughout the ongoing pandemic, Robert Romano, the program’s Energy Specialist, worked with FRHSD’s operations department and building supervisors to ensure equipment continued to run efficiently. Romano was able to aid district staff in implementing measures to manage humidity and prepare equipment for eventual reopening while Cenergistic experts and district personnel exchanged best practices for running facilities under different scenarios.

“Ensuring buildings are safe for students to return has been the top priority,” said Romano. “It’s taken a total team effort from every custodian and maintenance staff member to create healthy buildings for students and teachers.”