A Central California school district won two state architect awards for K-12 schools demonstrating energy efficiency leadership, generating alternative energy onsite and environmental responsibility, according to published reports.

Milpitas Unified School District was bestowed the awards by the California Department General Services Division of the State Architect. The school system was noted for being grid neutral as it used as much energy as it generated. The award recognizes the school for installing solar panels on stand-alone campus structures, using solar purchase agreements and integrating solar power studies into students' academic pursuits.

The director of maintenance, operations and transportation of Milpitas Unified accepted the award at a ceremony in Pasadena on December 10.

"It's just terrific to be able to work for a school board, superintendent and community that is proactive, reactive to issues," John Cimino told the Mercury News. "It wasn't my award by any stretch of the imagination"

Milpitas Unified consistently maintains 80 percent grid neutrality. Fourteen school sites throughout the district operate under power purchase agreements.

"We still are the No. 1 school district in the entire United States for offset of energy for an entire school district," Milpitas Unified superintendent Karl Black told the December 14 Board of Education meeting. "We're offsetting 80 percent of our electrical energy. This shows that we are certainly No. 1 in California, so congratulations all."