Shared Energy Savings Partnerships

energy savingsSchool divisions around the country are faced with trying to save every dollar they can. Educational resources and funding for maintenance and capital improvement funding is still lacking as the economy is still trying to recover. Many school divisions have had to be creative with how they can save money. It becomes a challenge to manage old infrastructure while trying to maintain low utility costs. Funds are not as readily available to replace aging equipment, such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. Students and staff still require adequate learning spaces that are conducive to learning.

Balancing energy costs and maintaining equipment functionality continues to be very difficult. An energy shared savings program is offered through some vendors to school divisions. They can assist by identifying HVAC issues while offering the benefit of reducing energy costs. Advanced technology allows for diagnostics and networking data to be tracked. Equipment issues may be identified that may not be commonly discovered by direct digital control schematics. This type of program offers improvement for HVAC efficiency while helping to extend the life of the equipment. Validated energy savings are split between the two parties which benefits the school division and the vendor.

Another area that can be addressed is set points. Your vendor can work with your energy or facilities maintenance team to address set point issues. They can make adjustments to not only ensure comfort for occupants but to ensure energy savings. You can work together to make decisions about set points for particular areas and the operation schedules in school buildings. This is another area that a third-party vendor can assist in identifying issues and improving equipment efficiency.

energy savingsThere are many challenges school divisions face that may justify serious consideration of this option. Inadequate staffing may be an issue. Some divisions outsource all services for HVAC work. Your school division may not have the funds needed to adequately maintain and diagnose your equipment. Your staff may also not have the comprehensive knowledge to diagnose and trouble-shoot issues. Some school divisions have limited staffing or capabilities for direct digital control and diagnostics. Utilizing a third party can be very beneficial by offering additional support assisting with diagnostics that save time, money, and resources. The equipment life can be extended when minor deficiencies are found and repaired.

Another question that needs to be asked is why should my school division participate in a program like this? Energy managers need to carefully examine monthly utility bills. There may be spikes and anomalies. Pay close attention to your energy costs per square foot comparing your energy costs to other school divisions in your region that have weather normalization capabilities. If your school division’s per-square-foot energy costs are much higher compared to other surrounding schools divisions, this may warrant some additional investigation in regards to energy expenditures and how school buildings are maintained. It makes sense to have a goal of high-performance and energy-efficient school buildings.

Every ounce of energy savings and equipment efficiency counts. Take pride in being a good steward of energy and your resources. School operating officials must continue to be creative and willing to be able to manage resources to their fullest potential. A third-party energy shared savings program may just help your equipment last longer and may also help your school division to save thousands of dollars in energy costs. The good news is that the savings can be used to compensate the third party if the school division chooses.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

John A. Bailey, Ph.D. is the director of School Plants for Chesapeake Public Schools and a National School Plant Managers Association board member, representing Virginia, and a Virginia School Plant Managers Association board member, representing Region II, in Virginia.

Featured

  • Three U.S. Universities Install Acre Security Access Control Platform

    Cloud-native physical and digital security solutions company Acre Security recently announced that it has deployed its access control platform at three major universities in the U.S., according to a news release. Acre partnered with Atrium Campus to provide coverage for more than 69,000 students at the University of Virginia (UVA), George Mason University, and Rockhurst University.

  • Spaces4Learning Announces Winners of 2025 Product Awards

    Spaces4Learning has just announced the winners of the 2025 Product Awards! The award program recognizes innovation and excellence in products that enhance learning environments in K–12 schools and institutions of higher education.

  • Texas District Finishes Construction on New Middle School, Admin Building

    The Westwood Independent School District recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Westwood Middle School and Administration Building in Palestine, Texas, according to a news release. The campus covers 106,000 square feet and has the capacity for 650 students in grades 6–8, and it will also play home to the district’s staff and administration.

  • ClassVR Wins Tech & Learning Best of Show at ISTELive 25

    Avantis Education recently announced that its flagship product, ClassVR, won the Tech & Learning Best of Show Award at ISTELive 25 in San Antonio, Texas, according to a news release. The program is designed to celebrate products that are “transforming education in schools around the world and that show the greatest promise for the industry,” and this is the fourth consecutive year that Avantis has claimed the award.

Digital Edition