Recyclebank of New York and LED lighting manufacturer Lunera Lighting, Redwood City, Calif., have launched the Green Schools Energy Challenge, a contest designed to benefit schools nationwide with energy retrofits to help make classroom lighting state-of-the-art green. To enter, teachers and school administrators submitted video entries last month showcasing classrooms that already have an ongoing commitment to sustainability. Those with the most inventive and active “green rooms” can win the green makeover, valued at up to $5,000 per classroom. This spring, five classrooms will be selected as winners for the Lunera-sponsored LED lighting energy retrofit.
“We have partnered with Recyclebank to offer classrooms a solid-state lighting retrofit to demonstrate the energy efficiencies and improved light quality that LED lighting provides,” said Karen Owyeung, CEO at Lunera Lighting. “The cost savings of Lunera's LED lighting systems are impressive. They offer up to 15 years of maintenance-free quality light that can save up to 50 percent of energy costs. Lunera's LED lighting systems provide near-daylight illumination compared to traditional lighting systems for students and teachers alike.”
Semi-finalists will be announced and public voting will start in early June. Semi-finalists are encouraged to get friends and family to visit Recyclebank.com to vote on their video, and the video with the most votes will be the fan favorite and win an Energy Retrofit by Lunera. There will be a total of five winning classrooms in the spring semester 2011. Winners will be announced in late June, and classroom retrofits will take place over the summer.