Mike McClure, Honeywell Energy Services account executive, told the school board Monday night that Heritage Middle School and Territorial Elementary School's electrical and natural gas use is better per square foot than other schools in the western and mountain states, according to the Energy Information Administration's June 2006 figures and the 2003 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey.
He said Del Rio Elementary School's use is only slightly greater than its counterparts in the western and mountain states. However, Chino Valley High School's electrical and natural gas use is considerably greater than its counterparts.
The high school's electrical use is $1.58 per square-foot versus 91 cents per square-foot for other schools in the western states. The natural gas use is 59 cents per square-foot versus 28 cents per square-foot for other schools.
Superintendent Duane Noggle said Honeywell spent about six months doing the energy audit on the district's four schools.
"The audit shows Heritage and Territorial are doing great, while Del Rio is doing good," McClure said. "These three schools are in great shape, but the high school needs work."
He told the board Honeywell doesn't recommend the district change from swamp coolers to air conditioners. "Swamp coolers are the most efficient at this elevation. All we're saying is to put in more efficient units," he said.
At the high school, he said, they recommend the district switch from 40-watt fluorescent bulbs with manual ballasts to 20-watt fluorescent bulbs with electric ballasts. In the gym, Honeywell recommends doing away with the high-pressure sodium bulbs and going to more efficient bulbs.
It also calls for the installation of light-emitting diode exit signs, the installation of compact fluorescent light bulbs where appropriate and delamping where appropriate.
The audit says the school should update the air conditioners from eight to 10 season energy efficiency rating units, use outside air economizers and upgrade building controls.
Honeywell recommends the school upgrade its furnaces to higher efficiency units and use proper make up air units instead of 100 percent outside air for classrooms.
McClure, who sells Energy Savings Performance Contracts, said the contracts let the district pay for the contract for the energy costs saved. "If the district doesn't save what our contract says it will, it pays nothing," he said.
The preliminary audit shows the high school could save $75,654 in utility costs with a total investment in equipment of $678,442 with a pay off in 8.7 years.
He said the district will find out Monday how much federal stimulus money it gets. The district could use that money to do some of the project, he said.
CVHS Principal Jeff St. Clair said, "There were no surprises in the audit. We've been saying for four years that we need this work done."
The board members said they will decide in July or August if they want to proceed with Honeywell.
If the district does, Honeywell will do an investment grade audit to lock in the savings figures. McClure estimates that would take six weeks.
To retrofit the schools lights would take a month, he said.
McClure figures Honeywell could complete the energy conservation project in six months time.
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Posted: Tuesday, June 09, 2009
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PUSD did this energy improvement project a few years ago using a division of APS I think. A lot of the savings were in lighting changes, which makes sense. That's where you can save the most in your home too. I don't think they had to lay out any cash upfront either. The utility sort of lent them the money for the upgrades and gets paid back in energy savings over several years. Cool.
