WASHINGTON, D.C. -- winter approaches, leaders at K-12 schools can learn how to reduce their campus energy costs in a series of webinars devised by the U.S. Green Building Council in partnership with Senator Hillary Clinton and with sponsorship from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The series began this month and covers top 10 tips in three key categories: no-cost ways to slash utility bills at schools, low-cost techniques to do the same and investments, such as building and lighting systems upgrades, that supercharge cost saving and energy efficiency.

The series of 90-minute online sessions began this week and the next webinars are at 1 p.m. EST December 3 and January 21. Sessions are being archived for viewing after the initial presentation.

Registration is $10 per session for USGBC members and $15 for nonmembers.

"We are grateful to Senator Clinton for her leadership on this important and very real challenge," USGBC CEO, President and Founding Chair Rick Fedrizzi said in a statement announcing the program. "While we can't control the price of energy, we can take incremental, proactive steps to improve the energy efficiency of our school buildings, saving money on utility bills so we don't have to cut important educational programs and services just to keep the lights on."

The webinars are the latest offering from the USGBC, which has been steadily stepping up its campaign to Build Green Schools. Last month, the council and the U.S. Conference of Mayors announced their partnership in efforts to green America's schools within a generation.

At the start of the school year, the USGBC reported a surge in the number of eco-friendly schools. Almost 1,000 school buildings have met or are seeking certification under the USGBC's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards, the council said. More than 8 million square feet of campus space are certified and more than 90 million square feet are in the pipeline as registered projects.

Source from Greener Buildings