Environment-friendly infrastructure seems to be the new trend within education circles. With many prominent institutions taking the 'green way', American Public University system does not wish to lag behind.

APUS celebrated the opening of its new, energy-efficient Finance Center located in the Charles Town-Ranson Corridor of West Virginia Tuesday.

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin(D- W.Va) cut the ribbon and declared the new finance center to be open.

Manchin noted that the facility is a 'major investment in the Eastern Panhandle as a whole and downtown Charles Town in particular.'

Its environmental friendly features include solar panels providing covered parking while producing power for the building, construction targeted for LEED certification at the Gold Level or higher, per standards set by the US Green Building Council and office and meeting space for more than 400 finance and administrative staff supporting more than 100,000 online students worldwide.

In 2002, APUS relocated its headquarters from Manassas, Va., with 11 employees working from a single building. Today, it employs over 500 local employees working in 17 facilities located in the heart of Charles Town, along with nearly 1900 faculty worldwide.

Since relocating its headquarters to Charles Town 10 years ago, APUS has reportedly invested more than $47 million in local construction and building renovation projects, including the state's largest solar array opened in Spring 2012 and Academic Center opened in late 2010.

Charles Town Mayor Peggy Smith marked the University's decade as a member of the community by presenting a ceremonial key to the city to Dr. Wallace E. Boston, APUS president and CEO.

"Our core mission is to expand access to quality, affordable education while addressing the environmental interests of our local and global communities," said Dr. Boston.

He also added that the new finance center will help them to 'continue to serve our growing student body even more effectively as we work toward further reducing our already low carbon footprint in the years to come.'

APUS offers 87 online degree programs through its American Public University and American Military University institutions. It is also the winner of the Sloan Consortium's 2009 Ralph E. Gomory Award for Quality Online Education.