Add as a preferred source on Google

Virginia School District Set to Save $3.1M in Energy, Operating Costs

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/19/22

Fredericksburg City Public Schools in Fredericksburg, Va., recently partnered with facility solutions provider ABM on the creation of an Energy Performance Contracting program. The solution will save the district an estimated $3.1 million in energy and operating costs over the next fifteen years, according to a news release. The program will allow district leadership to modernize facilities district-wide and improve lighting and indoor air quality for students and teachers—as well as help the City of Fredericksburg reach its goal of using renewable energy to power 100% of municipal operations by the year 2035.

“As the city’s largest single consumer of electricity, diesel fuel and natural gas, the school district’s reduced energy use greatly impacts the community’s decarbonization goals,” said ABM Technical Solutions President Mark Hawkinson. “Our project creates that savings while helping Fredericksburg protect air quality and provide engaging learning environments for students across the district.”

The savings from the project will come from improved lighting, HVAC and water conservation upgrades, the news release reports. Facility upgrades for the district’s two elementary schools, middle school, high school and pre-kindergarten facilities include LED lighting retrofits and replacements; boiler and HVAC equipment replacements and upgrades; and water conservation measures. Additionally, it also allowed the school district to win a grant from the Clean School Bus program toward purchasing ten electric school buses.

“We’re showing our students what leadership can accomplish for our community well-being,” said FCPS Deputy Superintendent Dr. Matthew Eberhardt. “The project ensures that our school infrastructure continues to provide healthy and engaging environments for teachers and students while delivering a big win for our community’s vital renewable energy goals.”

The ABM Energy Performance Contracting Program helps schools invest in facility upgrades without requiring new capital from the community, according to the news release. ABM has partnered with more than 500 K–12 school districts, colleges and universities across the country to transfer costs of critical facility upgrades and educational initiatives out of the institutions’ operational budgets.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Houston K–12 District Opens New Elementary School

    The Lamar Consolidated Independent School District (Lamar CISD) recently announced the completion of a new elementary school in a western suburb of Houston, Texas, according to a news release. Haygood Elementary School measures in at 110,000 square feet, has the capacity for 854 students, and is the first of three new schools scheduled to be built in the Cross Creek West community.

  • Countway Library at Harvard Medical School

    From Shadows to Sanctuary: The Transformation of Light at Countway Library

    The renovation of Countway Library at Harvard Medical School demonstrates how biophilic design and advanced lighting strategies transformed a formerly dark, insular space into a vibrant, welcoming hub that supports wellness, learning, and community engagement.

  • Illinois State University Breaks Ground on College of Fine Arts Transformation

    Illinois State University in Normal, Ill., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts transformation project, according to university news. The series of new constructions and renovations will upgrade spaces in Centennial East, the Center for the Visual Arts, and the Center for the Performing Arts, as well as replace the existing Centennial West facility with a new Commons Building.

  • Massachusetts K–12 District Selects Architect for New Junior High

    Swansea Public Schools in Swansea, Mass., recently announced that it has selected Finegold Alexander Architects to design a new junior high school for the district, according to a news release. The firm will create the Feasibility Study and Schematic Design for Joseph Case Junior High School after a lengthy selection process by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).

Digital Edition