Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Reducing Your Energy Use and Cost

  • By Amy Vigneux
  • 04/01/18

With budget cuts impacting schools across the nation, many campuses are searching for ways to stretch their dollars. Investing in renewable energy and products saves money in the long run. Not to mention, consuming energy unnecessarily can hurt your bottom line. Consider these easy ways to reduce your energy use.

Build with Efficiency in Mind

Entry doors in schools can leak both air and heat, contributing to significant energy loss. Specialized door assemblies and accessories are available to help combat these losses and improve a facility’s overall energy efficiency. Also, don’t forget about classroom doors! The simple addition of self-adhesive weather stripping can reduce energy losses and improve sound proofing.

Invest in Energy Efficient Locks

Believe it or not, smart locks connected to a power source can use a lot of energy. Think of all the doors in your building. How many are secured by electrified locks? Hardware manufacturers make locks that draw approximately 90 percent less power than other models, and they’re just as secure.

Install Self-Powered Door Controls

Door control devices are another unsuspecting energy user in school buildings. A small number of door operators are innovatively designed to generate and locally store energy, so they don’t even need a dedicated power source to open or close.

There are plenty of additional ways you can make your campus more energy efficient without a huge investment. Find a manufacturing partner that is invested in your success and safety; one with a wide range of progressive products, support tools and services to assist you; and, one that can help you make your campus more energy efficient, secure and sustainable.

This article originally appeared in the School Planning & Management April 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

About the Author

Amy Vigneux is director of Sustainable Building Solutions for ASSA ABLOY.

Featured

  • UTampa Breaks Ground on STEM Academic Facility

    The University of Tampa in Tampa, Fla., recently broke ground on one of its largest academic facilities ever, according to a news release. The Dickey Science Innovation Center will measure 153,000 square feet and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • Designing Third Spaces That Do What AI Can't

    In 2026, education is evolving faster than ever. With AI reshaping everything from lesson planning to personalized instruction, schools and universities are turning their attention to what AI can’t replicate: spaces that foster collaboration, community, and creativity.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.

  • Minnesota District Converts Middle School into Community Hub

    White Bear Lake Area Schools in White Bear Lake, Minn., recently announced the end of a major renovation project that converted a former middle school into a new centralized district and community hub, according to a news release.