Energy Savings Made Easy

Energy Savings

Scottsboro City Schools saw great energy savings when they used Schneider Electric systems in facility upgrades across the district.

Many schools around the country are deteriorating and faced with unprecedented budgetary pressures and a long list of deferred capital improvements. The Scottsboro school district in Alabama was no exception, with a student population of 2,700, the city operates four elementary schools, one middle school and one high school, as well as an adult learning center for those seeking a GED (general education diploma) or career training.

By 2012, many of the facilities were in need of major renovations. The forward-thinking school district opted for a performance contract from Schneider Electric to fund major renovations.

After an audit of all facilities, Schneider Electric implemented new systems for building automation, lighting, mechanical equipment, water commissioning, information technology and renewable energy, among other upgrades. This project provided Scottsboro City Schools with an effective way to fund long-needed, critical and comprehensive HVAC renovations that the district had no other way of funding.

Benefits of this project include reduced energy consumption and costs, as well as increased energy and water efficiency. The school system now has one single contact for service and support which was important to them as well as low-interest funding sources which guarantees savings.

www.schneider-electric.com

This article originally appeared in the School Planning & Management December 2013 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Fargo, N.D., Starts Construction on Consolidated Elementary School

    Fargo Public Schools in Fargo, N.D., recently announced the beginning of construction on a new elementary school, according to a news release. The district partnered with ICON Architectural Group and Kraus-Anderson Construction on the new Horace Mann Elementary School.

  • abstract illustration of school gym

    How the Gymnasium Can Serve as a Model for Learning Space Design

    Multipurpose gyms work because flexibility was built into the brief from the start, not retrofitted later. The same logic applies to academic spaces.

  • Doerr School of Sustainability Accelerator

    From Concrete Warehouse to Innovation Hub: Accelerating Sustainability at Stanford

    The transformation of a once windowless, concrete publishing warehouse into a sun-drenched center for global innovation began with a single, fundamental challenge: how to turn an industrial storage shell into a space built for human connection.

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.