Simple concepts save school district over $175,000 in energy costs

Mom and dad always told you.. by Marianne Morf    Turn off the light when you leave the room.  Shut down the computer at night.  Keep the thermostat low when nobody’s home.  Sound like messages you heard a million times from your parents?      These days schools are stressing the ABC’s of energy savings.      And it’s working. Really working.    Since the Clear Lake School District signed on with Energy Education Inc. in June 2006, the district estimates it has saved a whopping $187,789.    That’s right.  Actions like shutting off lights and equipment when not in use, turning down the thermostats and keeping facilities in top shape have trimmed 24 percent off of the district’s utility bill.    “It seems like a very simple concept, but without a plan of attack, it doesn’t get carried out very well,” said Mike Callanan, energy manager for the Clear Lake School District.  It’s his job to track energy usage at the district’s seven buildings, meet with consultants to review facilities and saving methods, and educate district personnel and students about ways to save energy.    “Ultimately, our success is based upon how much cooperation the program gets from the staff.  Based on our results, we’re getting great cooperation,” said Callanan.  “They are buying into the concept and it is paying off.”    Callanan recently shared the energy program’s financial summary with the Clear Lake School Board.  Using a data base compiled by entering the district’s monthly bills for gas, electric, water, and sewer usage, he was able to track usage on a monthly basis since the program’s inception 26 months ago.    “Weather and changing utility rates are factors which we must allow for, but the data base makes it easy to see where our money goes,” he explained.    Based on the data, the high school building is where the district spends the largest amount for energy services.  From June 2006 to July 2008, costs for those services declined over 24 percent, from $337,876 to $255,443.    The next largest building, the Middle School, dropped from $227,318 to $154,402, a 32 percent drop in cost for energy services.    In addition to focusing on human behavior to reduce energy usage, Callanan said the move toward more automation in heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) results in greater cost savings.      Currently, Clear Lake’s high school and middle school have HVAC systems which are computer controlled. Callanan likened those to a programmable thermostat which are becoming popular in homes.      “You keep the temperature at comfortable settings at occupied times and have it turned down when the buildings are empty, like nights and weekends,” he said.  “We’re very fortunate to be fairly modern in the majority of our district buildings.  Even our oldest building, Sunset School, has new windows.”    Part of the services provided by Energy Education Inc. under terms of the four year contract the district signed with the firm are visits to the district by consultants.  They trained Callanan early on, helping him weekly to develop the data base, and now visit with him monthly about data management.      He also meets monthly with a facilities consultant.  This week, he walked the halls of the schools with the consultant, taking inventory of possible trouble spots.      “I compliment our administrative team, School Board and others who have made the conscious effort to upgrade and keep our facilities in good shape.  That’s very helpful in the effort to trim energy use,” Callanan said.      “We’re not receiving a check for $187,789, but that’s money were not spending on energy that can go to other needs.”