Energy
Upgrade to Energy-Efficient Infrastructure - Take Some Action
The
Department of Energy reports that schools can save up to 30% annually on
their energy bills by replacing inefficient boilers, lighting, and other systems
with more energy-efficient alternatives. Students can also benefit from
improvements in infrastructure. For example, upgrading HVAC components can
not only make your building more energy efficient, but can increase
Indoor Air
Quality, so students are breathing cleaner air. Other building
improvements are even linked to more success learning. For example, the
Department of Energy reports that studies show
a connection between the use of
daylighting and better student performance. The California Board of
Energy Efficiency recently conducted a study of 21,000 students that showed an
increase of 15% to 26% on test scores for classrooms that had
daylighting.
Before considering major energy efficiency improvements…
Before considering upgrading your school’s HVAC system or undergoing major
renovations, make sure you’ve conserved energy in every possible way using our
no-cost/low-cost conservation tips. The
Conservation Tips include
information on
changing lights and buying
Energy Star Appliances, which are some of the
most cost-effective ways you can make
energy efficiency improvements.
How to decide what improvements to make?
In order to decide what improvements you should make to your building, you
should follow two steps:
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Find out where the low-hanging fruits are, projects that will be easiest,
cheapest, and least risky.
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Compare the cost of each potential project with how much energy each is expected
to save and what local or federal financial incentives may be available.
The
Department of Energy explains that many school districts focus on their most
inefficient systems first, then use the energy savings from those projects to
pay for more improvements later.
To find out which systems are the most energy inefficient in your school, you
should conduct an
energy audit. You may have a
couple refrigerators that are sucking up three times the amount of energy they
are supposed to because they are broken. Or, you may find that your heat
loss from the building exceeds the cost of electricity improvements you could
make. The only way to discover this information is to examine the whole
building’s energy use components and patterns through an audit. Some
audits even spell out potential solutions for you to consider. Energy
Star’s
Target Finder will then help you set a realistic energy improvement target.
But, once you’ve decided what areas of the building need improvements, you still
have to weigh the financial benefits of each potential solution. Consider
using the
Energy Star Portfolio Manager to help your school district focus on the most
beneficial improvements and weigh the options of potential renovations. It also
helps you track the progress of improvement projects after completion.
Portfolio Manager synthesizes information from every building in the school
district by tracking energy and water consumption and contracts, overall
building performance, future investment needs, LEED certification requirements,
and mortgage, sale, and lease transactions. Best of all, the program helps
you apply for an
Energy Star
label for one of your buildings so that you can gain recognition from the
EPA for your
energy efficiency efforts. Your buildings’ statistical data can be
compared to other K-12 buildings across the United States, helping you gauge
your progress.
Also,
check here to see if there are any local businesses or organizations in your
state offering help for identifying, weighing, and implementing improvements.
For example, the
Bright
Schools Program run by the California Energy Commission offers help
conducting energy audits, reviewing existing proposals, assisting with
contractor selection, and reviewing equipment bid specifications and
commissioning plans. Also, check Energy Star’s
searchable database of Service & Product Providers (SPPs).
We want to make improvements, but where do we get the money?
Energy Star offers some
helpful
guides explaining how to find funding for your project within the framework
of your existing budget.
Also, take advantage of
energy efficiency grants and tax incentives that may be available to you.
The
Database of State Incentives for
Renewables and Efficiency lists the major funding opportunities in your
state. The DOE’s
Tax
Incentives for Energy Efficiency offers federal tax incentives. This
site also includes software to help you calculate precisely how much money you
would save through various tax incentives based on your building and your
specific project.
Performance Contracting helps take the risk out of the decision of what to
upgrade and how the investment will turn out
Many schools have benefited greatly from using “performance contracting” for
anything from upgrading the building envelope to replacing heating system
components. “Performance contracting” for energy efficiency is when a
company comes into the school and focuses on conserving energy in a program to
reduce energy costs. A certified performance contractor (known as an ESCO)
takes on the technical and financial aspects of an energy efficiency project and
assumes the financial risks associated with the project because they guarantee
the energy savings. To find out more about how an ESCO can help finance
your energy project, click
here.
There are many certified ESCOs. Check with your contractors to see if one
of them is a certified ESCO. For more information about how to use an ESCO
in your school, read the
Guide for Performance Contracting in Schools by the DOE. And to see
how other schools have already benefited, check out
Energy Performance Contract Case Studies by Jessica Lefevre of the DOE.
What are some upgrades we should consider?
Whether you are just replacing a few basic appliances for more
energy efficient ones or considering more extensive upgrades like the ones
below, make sure you buy
Energy
Star Qualified Products. They meet rigorous government efficiency
guidelines and are available in almost every major product line, including:
air-conditioning units, central AC, furnaces, boilers, programmable thermostats,
vent fans, and even windows, doors, and skylights. Furthermore, Energy
Star’s
Purchasing & Procurement Tips can help you decide exactly which model to
buy.
The links below will provide you with an understanding of how each component
affects your overall energy use, and what upgrade options are available…
Heating, Cooling, and Vent Components
Lighting Systems
Water Heating Systems
Building Envelope
New Combined Heat & Power Systems
Is there a comprehensive guide that will walk us through choosing, planning,
financing, and implementing upgrades that have been proven to be beneficial?
Check out
Energy Star’s Building Manual and the
Advanced Energy Design
Guide for K-12 School Buildings!
After improvements, good operations and maintenance practices keep the savings
coming
After you make conservation improvements, keep the efficiency benefits going
through good operations and maintenance practices. For more on operations
and maintenance programs, check out
this guide from EnergySmart Schools. Some of the information is geared
toward
green buildings built from the ground up (which are called “EnergySmart”
schools here), but many of the principles can be applied to existing buildings.
The Department of Energy also offers this
operations and maintenance page geared toward commercial buildings.
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Buildings in many states have to follow the
ASHRAE and IESNA energy code by statute.
If your state uses these, you may have to meet certain requirements when
undergoing renovation projects or upgrades. Some states use the newest
2007 version, while others use an older one or their own, and some don’t follow
any at all. The 90.1 code is the most popular. The code includes
mandatory requirements that differ for the size and type of the building.
However, it generally includes minimizing the energy loss through transmission
lines, documenting electrical components in the building, meeting lighting
standards for new construction, additions, or lighting replacement projects, and
meeting a certain maximum goal of the amount of electricity consumed for
lightning needs. Specifics include things like the number of light switches in a
certain area, a requirement of occupancy sensors in other areas, and even
requirements for automatic lighting shut-offs set to a timer for large
buildings. Beyond mandatory requirements, the energy code also includes
prescriptive requirements for lighting and power use. Standard and
compliance tools for buildings that have to meet these requirements are
available here.
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