New York School District Saves $1.5 Million with Energy Education

Energy Education presented East Greenbush Central School District with its Energy Excellence Award at a May 4 Board of Education Meeting. Through the partnership with Energy Ed, the district has seen $1,466,686 in cost savings in just the last 42 months. The savings come from implementing behavioral and organizational change to substantially reduce energy consumption.

“I am extremely pleased to present East Greenbush Central School District with our Energy Excellence Award,” said William S. Spears, chairman and founder of Energy Education, according to Albany’s Times Union. “The school district joins a very committed group of organizations across the country working hard to achieve energy savings so the dollars saved can be redirected to educational needs.”

The school district has succeeded in saving energy by tracking consumption and analyzing energy use, including monitoring electricity, water, sewer, natural gas and fuel oil, all using special energy-accounting software from Energy Education. The Energy Excellence Award is a national recognition, presented only to clients that have successfully saved at least $1 million by implementing an energy management plan.

Energy Education, Energy Star Focus Efforts on Orlando Church

Since it was founded in 1871, Orlando's First Baptist Church (FBC) has expanded several times and grown to 15,000 members, making energy costs all the more important—which is why Energy Education stepped in. By partnering with both Energy Star and and Energy Education, FBC Orlando hoped to tackle its rising utility costs, which were approaching $1 million per year.

By controlling costs, the church is free to put the additional savings toward domestic, local and foreign ministries and missions. FBC Orlando is the largest contributor to missions of any Southern Baptist congregation, donating $1.5 million each year. The church was also concerned about using nature's resources in the most efficient way possible, and is paying attention to adjusting temperatures and scheduling events so that certain locations' lights and climate control can be turned off when they're not in use. FBC Orlando is focusing on three specific areas: energy accounting, mechanical operation and energy awareness. This is what makes up the church's Energy Management Action Plan, which helped save more than $1 million between October 2008 and March 2011. It plans to save an additional million in even less time. The church was awarded the annual Energy Star Congregations Award in 2010, which encouraged the congregation to continue their energy-efficient path to even more savings.

Martinez Unified School District Launches Energy Ed Program

Today marks the first day of Energy Education’s partnership with California’s Martinez Unified School District. To help ensure the program runs smoothly, former Alhambra High School vice principal and District Bond Coordinator has been chosen for the role of Energy Education Specialist (EES). Energy Education will train Hillman to teach students and staff how to conserve energy, using a variety of technologies and software.

“The time has arrived for us to address savings at every level of the organization,” said Superintendent Rami Muth in an interview with Patch.com. “This people-oriented program helps us save using the systems and personnel already in place. Every dollar we don’t spend on energy is a dollar we save for educational purposes.”

The money that the school district spends on the program will be paid for through energy savings, according to Energy Education. Additional savings can be put back into the district’s budget for other uses, including teachers’ salaries, books and materials and after-school programs that would have otherwise been cut. Martinez Unified School District is located in Martinez, Calif. and includes four elementary schools, one middle school and high school, two alternative and independent study schools, as well as one school for adult education. 

Lights Out at California's Mira Costa High School

During the daytime and into the early evening, high schools are lively with students rushing to and from classes, meetings and sports practices, but what about the sleepy hours leading up to dawn? Not so much. After teaming up with Energy Education Inc., California’s Mira Costa High School has begun an interior dark campus policy that minimizes the number of parking and perimeter lights that are left on between midnight and 5 a.m.

The policy may also help decrease unlawful trespassing and vandalism, as anyone who sees suspicious activity during those hours is asked to report it to the police immediately. The local police department has also been informed of the change in policy. As one of the largest schools in the district, Mira Costa High School’s utility costs reach $185,000 yearly. Since working with Energy Education Inc., the district has cut down on its energy costs by $10,000 per month. 

Celebrate Earth Day with Good News from Virginia

Happy Earth Day! For students of Loudoun County Public Schools in Ashburn, Va., it’s an especially happy Earth Day, in light of news that the school district was named an Energy Star Partner of the Year by the Environmental Protection Agency for the second year in a row. With help from Energy Education Inc., the schools saved more than $323,000 in 2010 alone.

“They’re now spending money on textbooks and teachers, instead of energy bills. Teachers and textbooks are certainly where education dollars belong,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Bon Perciasepe to the Washington Examiner.

Energy Education Inc. has been working with Loudoun since June of 1993, accumulating a savings of $29,861,725 through January 2011. For nearly two decades, the program has helped spread energy awareness and make Loudoun one of Energy Ed’s greatest success stories. Loudoun County Public Schools are home to 63,220 students and 76 schools.

Energy Education Helps Troup County Schools Cut Back

Since Georgia’s Troup County schools began working with Energy Education Inc., the school system has saved more than $331,000 and reduced its energy consumption by 14,226 BTUs. What does that mean? Equate it with 1,881 tons of carbon dioxide being removed from the atmosphere or 48,122 tree seedlings grown for 10 years. Over nine months, the school system reduced its energy use by 16 percent.

The energy savings are just in time for tomorrow’s Earth Day, but Energy Education Inc. is eager to remind people to continue energy-saving efforts year-round.

“It’s important for all of us to save energy,” said Sandy Melton, an Energy Education specialist, in an interview with WLTX 38 NBC. “While most of the time we discuss it in terms of saving money, for Earth Day we encourage you to be concerned with our natural resources. Being good stewards of both our money and our environment gives us a great sense of satisfaction.”

With rising prices of electricity, natural gas, heating oil and water, utility costs are an issue of focus for the Troup County School System. The energy program is projected to help the school system save $7.6 million during the first 10 years. This will save taxpayer dollars as well as teachers’ jobs, and allow the schools to hang onto important programs.   

$4.4 Million Cut Away From Energy Bill

It was five years ago that the Sheboygan Area School District entered a contract with energy conservation company Energy Education Inc. Since then it has saved close to $4.4 million in energy costs through the just-terminated energy just-concluded energy savings program. Compared to the district’s energy costs of $2.325 million in 2005 it has changed to $2.125 million in 2010. According to the district coordinator of facilities services, Dave Albright, these numbers are important but the main attention should be paid to the district’s ‘cost avoidance.’ He explained that this term stands for “what you would have paid or consumed if you had not used an energy savings plan.” Through the contract and help from Energy Education Inc. this cost avoidance increased from approximately $500,000 in 2006 to above $1 million in 2010.

But what will happen now? The contract between the Sheboygan Area School District and Energy Education Inc. has ended but Albright will still focus on making a change to the environment and to the district’s energy consumption. Even though energy education specialist Gene Gasper has retired and will not return to her position, the district will continue the energy savings program and keep taking advantage of the positive changes it has already brought to staff and schools.

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