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Schneider Electric Enables Lawrence County Schools to Deliver Millions in Energy Savings

  • 03/31/15

Dallas – Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, today announced a new partnership with Lawrence County Schools in Moulton, Ala. to execute an energy savings performance contract (ESPC) which will fund critical infrastructure renovations the district could not otherwise afford. The contract will allow for key energy upgrades in the district’s 19 buildings and guarantee $430,000 in savings per year for the next 20 years – totaling $11.7 million in energy savings.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, energy efficient schools can lower their annual operating costs by up to 30 percent. Increasing energy costs that consume operating budgets coupled with recent economically harsh years have led to minimal funds available to upgrade schools’ current energy infrastructure. The ESPC with Schneider Electric allows the district to secure funding for necessary upgrades at no cost to taxpayers and reduce annual district energy consumption by 25 percent.

“Schneider Electric is a very well-respected company that has worked with numerous school systems throughout the state and country,” said Lawrence County Schools Superintendent Heath Grimes. “We are glad to enter into this agreement with them that will allow us to realize a large amount of energy savings in the long-term and do some much-needed improvements at our schools in the short-term.”

“This is an exciting project for Schneider Electric as we partner with Lawrence County Schools to make renovations that will significantly improve the learning environment for their students,” said Tammy Fulop, Vice President, Schneider Electric. “We are proud to help schools and municipalities in Alabama and across the nation overcome funding obstacles and address much-needed renovations to become more energy efficient.”

Budget-neutral improvements underway include:

  • District-wide building automation, providing centralized control of 4,500 access points
  • Renovations and upgrades to over 11,600 interior and exterior lighting components
  • District-wide IT enterprise management system to control power usage of 3,700 pieces of equipment
  • Water system upgrades that will reduce the water consumption by 6 million gallons
  • New voice over IP telecommunications system across all campuses
  • New windows at R.A. Hubbard High School
  • Mechanical renovation at East Lawrence Elementary School
  • Ability for maintenance staff to control and troubleshoot mechanical units from a central location for the first time

The plan, details and progress of the project will be shared with the community as it moves towards completion. The performance contract will have positive environmental impacts on the community as well. Lawrence County School District will reduce its carbon emissions by 41,000 tons – the equivalent to removing 8,800 cars from the road or powering 5,280 homes.

In the past 22 years, Schneider Electric has successfully implemented more than 530 ESPCs across the nation, including dozens in Alabama, and helped clients save more than $1 billion. ESPCs help publicly funded entities make capital improvements over longer payback periods. ESPCs offer many long-term benefits such as improved facility efficiency, occupant comfort, financial management and environmental protection. Lawrence County Schools are the latest to take advantage of this guarantee, making positive long-term changes to the district.

To learn more about energy savings performance contracts, visit www.enable.schneider-electric.com.

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