In a span of eight months, the school district’s new Energy Conservation Program has generated over $500,000 in cost savings in addition to helping the environment.
At this week’s Board of Education meeting, the district’s Energy Managers Eddie Tabata and Paul Juarez provided an overview of the program, data-tracking tools, and the actions implemented to maintain the comfort of employees while achieving savings.
Now nearing its one-year mark, the primary goals of the program are to:
• Reduce energy consumption and, at the same time, reduce the district’s carbon footprint;
• Decrease energy operating costs ; and
• Secure lasting collaboration and commitment from District staff and students to promote smart energy use while maintaining comfort.
“This is one of many efforts that our district initiated to curb costs,” said Superintendent Doug Domene. “In addition, we are very proud that we are also doing our part to conserve the environment.”
The program works by energy managers conducting energy audits of sites during occupied and unoccupied hours to determine what lights or heating/air conditioning systems can be shut down when schools are not in session. The district’s energy managers, both whom are former PYLUSD teachers, also met with every school to educate staff about the importance of energy shutdowns during school breaks and during times when campuses are off hours. These efforts are under the guidance of Cenergistic, formerly Energy Education, an award-winning company whose energy conservation programs have saved more than $3 billion for school districts and organizations across the nation.
In eight months since the program was initiated, the district saved $518,523, a 14.4 percent savings in the district’s annual energy costs for energy (electricity, gas and water). The district also earned the Environmental Protection Agency’s national “Energy Star Partner” designation.
These energy savings were achieved by saving 2.1 million kilowatt hours of electricity and 21,687 therms of natural gas. These savings equate to:
• Preventing 646 metric tons of CO2; or
• Removing 135 automobiles off the road for an entire year; or
• Planting 16,565 tree seedlings for 10 years.
“It’s a win-win for the district’s financial bottom-line and, more importantly, our environment.” Domene stated.
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Visit the PYLUSD's Energy Management page to learn more about our program.