Greg Kats, Green School Expert, To Give Keynote Address at Greentools for Healthy Schools Conference

For immediate release
Please contact: Ariel Dekovic, 415-970-6604, ariel@chps.net

July 21, 2008 (San Francisco)The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) named Greg Kats the keynote speaker for the annual Greentools for Healthy Schools Conference, which will take place September 11-12, 2008 in Sacramento. Kats is renowned for his landmark study on the financial benefits of building green schools as well as his global contributions to environmental sustainability.

In his keynote address, Mr. Kats will discuss this study, as well as introduce his new work, “Green Buildings and Communities: Costs and Benefits.”

In the 2006 study, “Greening America’s Schools: Costs and Benefits,” Mr. Kats demonstrated that the total fiscal benefits of green schools can be twenty times as great as initial cost. Schools can save money while reaping the benefits of high performance buildings – from improved test scores to a lower carbon footprint.

Henry Kelly, the president of the American Federation of Scientists wrote: “This carefully documented study conclusively demonstrates the financial, environmental, and other benefits of using green technologies in schools. In fact, failure to invest in green technologies is not financially responsible for school systems.”

Mr. Kats is currently the Managing Director of Good Energies (www.goodenergies.com), a global private investment firm in renewable and clean energy technologies with over $8 billion under management. He is also founder of the American Council on Renewable Energy (www.acore.org) and served as the Director of Financing for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy (1996-2001).

Mr. Kats’ midday address will tie together the morning and afternoon workshop series on the first day of the Greentools conference. Workshops will take on “the Big 3” challenges that obstruct the goal of providing healthy schools on a healthy planet: climate change, high performance school policy, and existing schools.

Greentools aims to equip attendees with practical and innovative tools for building healthy energy-efficient schools. Workshops include methods for schools to increase their energy efficiency, incorporate green features into modernization projects, and provide for superior indoor air quality in a classroom setting. Workshop facilitators represent school districts, architecture firms, utility companies, government agencies, and nonprofits. The Green Apple Awards, CHPS’ annual awards program, will be presented during Greentools. The awards recognize leadership in high performance school issues.

Discounted registration rates are available for school districts, government agencies, nonprofits, and students to attend the conference. School districts interested in participating in free design charrettes must apply by August 1 to receive full conference scholarships. Advance regular conference registration ends August 22, though registration will be available on-site.

Information about Greentools 2008 can be found online at www.chps.net/greentools or by calling the CHPS office at 415-957-9888.

The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) is the nation’s first green building rating program developed especially for school learning environments. Forty CHPS schools have already opened their doors, and over three hundred more are on the way. Thirty school districts are using the CHPS Criteria, eight states have an adaptation of the CHPS Criteria available for use, and four of these states provide special funding for CHPS schools. Greentools for Healthy Schools is CHPS’ annual training program. Find out more information about CHPS at www.chps.net.