News
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — A pilot energy savings program begun in Carbondale schools over the summer is proposed to be expanded to include three Roaring Fork District Re-1 schools in Glenwood Springs.
The Re-1 school board was asked at its Oct. 28 meeting to consider continuing its partnership with the Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative (G-NECI), expanding the project to Glenwood Springs Elementary, Glenwood Middle and Sopris Elementary schools.
Earlier this year, G-NECI was awarded a $1.6 million Colorado Department of Local Affairs grant for a variety of energy efficiency and renewable energy installations throughout Garfield County.
Part of that money, $50,000, is funding an “Energy Star” pilot project for Re-1 schools aimed at reducing the district's approximately $1.2 million annual energy bill by at least 25 percent.
Initiative sponsors teamed up with the private company, New Energy Technology (NET), to launch the project at three Carbondale schools, Crystal River Elementary, Carbondale Middle and Roaring Fork High schools.
“Since start-up in mid-June, the project has resulted in $24,359 in school energy savings from part of June, all of July, and August,” according to a project summary provided by G-NECI partner Alice Laird of the energy efficiency advocacy group CLEER, and Charley Haupt, president of NET.
They went on to say that an ongoing annual savings of $12,000 is expected just based on the work already done in the three pilot schools.
By expanding the program to other schools and applying some of the same principles districtwide, the district could reduce its energy bill by about $360,000, Haupt said during a presentation at last week's school board meeting.
“Schools are the most diverse buildings in the world,” Haupt said. “It's all about being smart towards energy management, and engaging the people in the schools — custodians, staff, principals, teachers, students — to be energy managers.
“That means changing behaviors about the use of energy,” he said.
The project so far has also revealed where a majority of the district energy dollars are being spent. For instance, use of stadium lights for nighttime sporting events is a huge energy draw.
That prompted school board member Bill Lamont to suggest that the district's high schools consider scheduling more Saturday afternoon football games, instead of Friday night.
To date, NET has been providing its services for free as a way to demonstrate how the project works. Committing to the program in all six schools will come at a cost of $92,000, of which $50,000 will be covered by the G-NECI grant.
That leaves $42,000 to be covered by the school district, which Haupt said is already being realized through energy savings generated to date.
“These savings were achieved by a combination of providing historical and ongoing energy use data to building managers and custodians, working with building users and decision-makers on energy management and increasing their understanding of how energy is used in the building,” according to the program summary.
Through its work, NET also discovered an over-billing of $25,995 on Xcel utility bills, which is being refunded to the school district. That money can also be put back into the program, Haupt suggested.
The Energy Star project is modeling its management techniques after a program in an Oregon school district that had achieved some impressive results, saving the district about $1.5 million per year.
Re-1 school board members were favorable to expanding the program to the Glenwood schools. However, they may ask NET to front the cost, and pay up when at least a 15 percent savings is achieved in the schools included in the program.
Haupt said he would be willing to do that, but would request a bonus at the conclusion of the program in that case.
jstroud@postindependent.com
The Re-1 school board was asked at its Oct. 28 meeting to consider continuing its partnership with the Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative (G-NECI), expanding the project to Glenwood Springs Elementary, Glenwood Middle and Sopris Elementary schools.
Earlier this year, G-NECI was awarded a $1.6 million Colorado Department of Local Affairs grant for a variety of energy efficiency and renewable energy installations throughout Garfield County.
Part of that money, $50,000, is funding an “Energy Star” pilot project for Re-1 schools aimed at reducing the district's approximately $1.2 million annual energy bill by at least 25 percent.
Initiative sponsors teamed up with the private company, New Energy Technology (NET), to launch the project at three Carbondale schools, Crystal River Elementary, Carbondale Middle and Roaring Fork High schools.
“Since start-up in mid-June, the project has resulted in $24,359 in school energy savings from part of June, all of July, and August,” according to a project summary provided by G-NECI partner Alice Laird of the energy efficiency advocacy group CLEER, and Charley Haupt, president of NET.
They went on to say that an ongoing annual savings of $12,000 is expected just based on the work already done in the three pilot schools.
By expanding the program to other schools and applying some of the same principles districtwide, the district could reduce its energy bill by about $360,000, Haupt said during a presentation at last week's school board meeting.
“Schools are the most diverse buildings in the world,” Haupt said. “It's all about being smart towards energy management, and engaging the people in the schools — custodians, staff, principals, teachers, students — to be energy managers.
“That means changing behaviors about the use of energy,” he said.
The project so far has also revealed where a majority of the district energy dollars are being spent. For instance, use of stadium lights for nighttime sporting events is a huge energy draw.
That prompted school board member Bill Lamont to suggest that the district's high schools consider scheduling more Saturday afternoon football games, instead of Friday night.
To date, NET has been providing its services for free as a way to demonstrate how the project works. Committing to the program in all six schools will come at a cost of $92,000, of which $50,000 will be covered by the G-NECI grant.
That leaves $42,000 to be covered by the school district, which Haupt said is already being realized through energy savings generated to date.
“These savings were achieved by a combination of providing historical and ongoing energy use data to building managers and custodians, working with building users and decision-makers on energy management and increasing their understanding of how energy is used in the building,” according to the program summary.
Through its work, NET also discovered an over-billing of $25,995 on Xcel utility bills, which is being refunded to the school district. That money can also be put back into the program, Haupt suggested.
The Energy Star project is modeling its management techniques after a program in an Oregon school district that had achieved some impressive results, saving the district about $1.5 million per year.
Re-1 school board members were favorable to expanding the program to the Glenwood schools. However, they may ask NET to front the cost, and pay up when at least a 15 percent savings is achieved in the schools included in the program.
Haupt said he would be willing to do that, but would request a bonus at the conclusion of the program in that case.
jstroud@postindependent.com
