KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Schools are usually large buildings that can burn up a lot of energy and can take a lot of money to keep running, but one school in Osceola County is doing things differently.
NeoCity Academy Principal Yvette Ponzoa told News 6 Chief Meteorologist Tom Sorrells small changes are getting big results.
“We have 650 solar panels, but it’s not only the solar panels that make us conserve more energy. We have a specialized air-filtration system. We have a lot of windows; because we have so many windows, a lot of us in our offices and even in classrooms can function with the lights off, so we don’t turn the lights on because we get a lot of natural light,” she said.
The school also changed the way it serves lunch.
“We don’t have a conventional cafeteria. We have a food truck. The district brings the food in so we don’t have a cafeteria kitchen that is using energy to cook the food here,” Ponzoa said.
Because of these and other measures, the principal said the school actually produces more energy than it burns.
“We save the district $115,000 a year,” Ponzoa said.
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She said an added bonus is that the steps they have taken are also good for the environment and are gaining national attention.
Learn more about NeoCity Academy, how it is working to conserve energy and the students there who are making it their mission to have a more gentle impact on the planet by checking out Talk to Tom. You can download the podcast from wherever you listen to them or watch it anytime on News 6+.
Listen to Talk To Tom in the media player below: