Mount Baker School District gets $500,000 energy grant

Becca Schwarz — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 01:29:19 +0000

by Stephanie Kosonen
DEMING – The Mount Baker School District recently received a $500,000 grant from the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for energy efficiency improvements.
The district was already looking into how to be more energy efficient before officials learned they could apply for the grant, said Superintendent Dr. Rick Gantman. A contract signed late last year with energy performance contractor Schneider Electric eased the application process, and the sheer need for energy efficiency upgrades helped win the grant, Gantman said.
Old building design contributes to the need for the upgrades. “The oldest buildings in our district are in very, very good shape, but they’re old,” Gantman said, adding some of the buildings were constructed in the 1930s and ‘60s.
According to Schneider Electric’s energy estimates so far, they expect the district to save around 20 percent of its total electrical and natural gas costs once improvements are completed.
“That equals to about 205 tons of carbon emissions saved, or the equivalent of planting 15,000 trees,” said Harrison Eng, LEED engineer with Schneider Electric.
Lighting and heating equipment might be replaced, and walls may be reinforced with insulation to help meet efficiency goals.
“It’s undefined now what the limit of our design work with them will be,” Gantman said.
The scope of work will depend on a cost-benefit analysis, combined with the district’s available capital projects funds. “There are some things we might like to do that might not have a huge energy return, but that might be common sense to improve a building,” he said. “We’ll see what they say.”
What is known is that the energy upgrades will make a big impact on the district’s budget, Eng said.
“An even more substantial impact is in the learning environment,” Eng said. “Updating the lighting levels in the classroom and gyms and making the building HVAC system operate more consistently will create a better environment for students without sacrificing anything financially.”
The next step will be a presentation of what the company finds during an “energy audit” of the district’s buildings.
The audit involves on-site visits from Schneider Electric engineers and computer modeling of the buildings’ current energy use.
For example, light sensors were installed, as well as motion detectors, to record when the lights are on in relation to when people are actively using the space. If the lights are on a lot with little or no motion, the company might recommend motion-sensor light switches that turn on the lights when someone enters a room, Gantman said.
In addition, the company looks at the district’s history of heating bills and other hard data.
Assistant Superintendent Jim Frey compiled the grant proposal. He said the process has been revealing and helpful in determining where the problem spots are within district buildings, and district officials look forward to identifying energy savings and facility upgrades that will crate a better learning environment.
“Our district has done a tremendous job over the years of taking care of the facilities, but some of our lighting, controls, and systems have exceeded their life expectancy,” Frey said. “In addition, some of our building envelopes are not constructed up to modern standards, and we demonstrated that by upgrading, we will experience significant cost savings from a reduction in energy usage.”
Schneider Electric is in the process of working up proposals based on what they have learned, and will make a proposal to the district sometime in March, Frey said.
After that, the district will choose which projects they would like to proceed with.
Gantman said the school board will probably see some project proposals in April or May, and can choose the highest priorities from the list.
“We’re extremely pleased and excited that we get to do some work on our energy usage,” Gantman said. The district has a unique financial model that makes funding these types of projects a challenge, because it is geographically large but contains a small industrial and retail tax base.
“It’s right for Mount Baker School District to get access to this revenue source,” Gantman said. “It’s just plain right.”

Efficiency Projects

Schneider-Electric, the company contracted with the Mount Baker School District to work on energy efficiency improvements, is currently compiling an “energy audit” of the district. The school board will likely see some project proposals in April or May. Mount Baker was one of 59 school districts statewide that received funding.

Published March 1, 2010

Foothills Gazette » energy

Mount Baker School District gets $500,000 energy grant