Rountree Architects - Articles, Connecticut, Vermont, Solar Architeture, Home Builders, Designers, Green Energy

Tuesday was a sunny day for architect John Rountree.

The Compo Road South resident was one of 50 recipients of a Department of Environmental Protection GreenCircle Award. The award, presented Tuesday, honors positive contributions promoting natural resource conservation and environmental awareness by businesses, institutions, schools, civic organizations and individuals.

Mr. Rountree received the award for coordinating a program called "Solar on Connecticut Schools" which will install solar electrical systems at Connecticut schools. Applications will be sent to interested schools in January, and project will be selected in March.

The goal of the project is to install systems in 10 Connecticut schools during the spring and summer of 2000-- including the yet-to-be-built middle school on North Avenue.

"I'm thrilled," Mr. Rountree said of the award. "It's nice to be recognized for the work I'm doing. A lot of people don't seem to care about energy issues, unfortunately."

Mr. Rountree said he didn't know he'd been nominated for the award until he won. Other groups associated with Solar on Connecticut Schools include People's Action for Clean Energy, Atlantic Energy and Solar Works, Inc.

More than 250 groups and individuals have been honored since the program began in 1998. Awards are presented three times a year. Recipients get a certificate acknowledging their recognition and their names are listed on the DEP's web site.

Other efforts recognized through the awards included "Adopt-a-Road" programs, promotion of statewide fishing programs and initiatives to preserve state lakes, rivers and streams.

DEP Supervising Environmental Analyst Robert Hannon said Mr. Rountree's project was chosen because of its promotion of solar energy. Mr. Hannon said Mr. Rountree also has given numerous lectures on solar energy in the state.

"He seems to be a big proponent of alternative types of energy and that’s the type of thing we like to recognize," Mr. Hannon said.

Rountree Awarded for "Thinking Green"