The Challenge
- Escalating energy costs and already tight operating budgets
- Inefficient and dated HVAC and water heating systems
- Various sources of energy loss throughout the facilities
- Overall environment was not optimized for learning (e.g., lighting and comfort of classrooms)
- Understood need for improvements; however, a creative solution was required to overcome budget challenges
The Solution
TEPG and its partners conducted an energy audit to learn how and where we were using energy.
Stephenson’s customized energy savings plan for two buildings (high/middle school and elementary) in the district included:
- Replaced boiler and upgraded domestic hot water system
- Replaced two inefficient package fire tube boilers with high efficiency condensing boilers
- Used indirect fired, domestic hot water heating
- Included variable frequency drives on the hot water heating system
- Installed Energy Recovery Ventilators on air handling units
- Provided intelligent occupancy sensors for concession machine control
- Replaced lighting fixtures with more efficient fixtures
- Added occupancy sensors to lighting
- Replaced obsolete management system with a new energy management system
- Provided test and balancing for HVAC systems, monitoring and ensuring proper air and water flow to each device in the system
- Provided a commissioned report to ensure all devices are working at optimal levels
- Created an energy playbook, establishing an school-wide energy policy
- Provided ongoing training for staff, administration and teachers and helped the district create an energy curriculum
- TEPG and its partners also quantified the amount of anticipated energy savings in terms of usage and dollars.
- TEPG also created a financing plan whereby Stephenson Area Public Schools could use the identified savings to pay for the needed upgrades…meaning no out-of-pocket expenses for the district.