West Virginia Department of Commerce Little green schoolhouse

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Little green schoolhouse

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Little Green Schoolhouse Teaches Three Rs

By Andrea Bond

Even in the cold of winter, some buildings in West Virginia stay green year-round. These structures are designed to reduce energy costs while benefiting the environment and the community as a whole, a concept evident in the creation of the new Hilltop Elementary School in Marshall County.

School serves as teaching tool
Hilltop is applying to be a LEED-certified school, said Mark Swiger, Green Schools Advocate for Marshall County. Swiger has been collaborating with Green Schools Advocate John Henry in New Jersey. Together, the two men have traded ideas about how to improve schools in their respective states.

Building code will save money
West Virginia, as most other states, includes energy conservation in its building code. The 2003 International Energy Conservation Code in West Virginia’s building code specifies energy efficient construction of new and renovated residential and commercial buildings. It includes some minimum standards for insulation, windows, air sealing, lighting and heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC).

Job opportunities abound
In addition to saving money, renewable energy creates job opportunities, says Matt Sherald, owner of Power in My Back Yard, a Tucker County-based business that offers site assessment as well as installation of wind turbines and solar power.

Net-zero energy pays for itself
A net-zero energy building produces as much energy as it uses, said David Mitchell of Mitchell Building Services LLC in Charleston. The Green Advantage Certified contractor is collaborating with architect Worlledge on the project.

West Virginians join forces for sustainable living
Green living doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing undertaking. There are a number of actions people can take to help enrich their communities, one step at a time.
West Virginians join forces for sustainable living

Green living doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing undertaking. There are a number of actions people can take to help enrich their communities, one step at a time.


Thom Worlledge, McKinley and Associates
“Just about everything I do is a green building. It’s just the way I design.”

Thom Worlledge
McKinley and Associates