In the face of rising energy prices, the Guilderland Central School District has taken steps to combat costs through conservation.
At a meeting of the school board on Tuesday, Dec. 12, the board was presented with the Energy Pacesetter Award by Energy Education, Inc. (EEI), a national conservation company.
In the 13 months since the district formed a strategic alliance with Energy Education, district schools have achieved a 22 percent cost savings, totaling $510,512.
William S. Spears, chief executive officer and founder of EEI, said the level of savings Guilderland has reached is a significant achievement. He complimented the job the district has done in implementing the company’s people-oriented approach to energy conservation.
The superintendent and school board, along with other administration, faculty and staff members are to be commended for clearly fulfilling their commitment to being good stewards of the taxpayers’ money and the environment, said Spears. `Strong support from Superintendent Greg Aidala and the board of education has created an atmosphere of cooperation that should continue to grow and ensure even greater success well into the future.`
In October 2005, the board of education adopted an energy management conservation policy to outline plans to address energy management within its 10 district buildings. The district began working with EEI to identify ways to better monitor and conserve energy the previous March.
The goals of the program are to protect the environment, aid the district in maintaining a quality learning and work environment, changing energy use mindsets and help save money that the district can reinvest in its ongoing activities.
Neil Sanders, assistant superintendent for business, said the expected cost savings are accounted for prior to the upcoming budget year, and the money is redirected to other district programs.
`We’ve budgeted with the expectation that money would be saved,` he said.
According to Sanders, rising energy costs place considerable pressure on the district’s finances.
`Between heating, gas and electric, it certainly does represent a significant amount in the budget,` said Sanders. `We had been looking for a program to conserve and control energy costs in light of rising prices.`
A key feature of the EEI program is the concept of energy savings through cost avoidance ` the idea that through education, training and monitoring, all members of the school community can make minor changes that yield major results.
Minor changes include turning off classroom lights, shutting down computers and printers and turning down the heat in buildings while not in use. With the development of the program, the board of education appointed Farnsworth Middle School math teacher Fred Tresselt as the district’s energy manager.
As energy manager, Tresselt’s responsibilities include monitoring the energy program. Tresselt collects and interprets data, provides feedback to staff and encourages the school community to take a proactive stance when it comes to conserving energy.
Guilderland’s four-year agreement with EEI guarantees that the avoided energy costs will at least offset all program costs, and additional savings would be used to lower budget costs.
Sanders said program costs include the annual $125,000 price tag to participate in the program, the energy manager’s salary, training seminars and software.
By using energy-accounting software, Tresselt can track consumption and analyze energy use and can quickly identify and correct areas that need immediate attention.
`The cooperative efforts of the entire Guilderland community ` from custodial and maintenance personnel to educational staff at all levels ` have made for a very successful endeavor,` said Tresselt.
Tresselt said he is also encouraged to see everyone understand and appreciate how energy could be conserved and money saved.
`The success of the program rests heavily with the work performed by Mr. Tresselt,` said Aidala. `His ability to mobilize staff behind this initiative has been nothing short of amazing.`
EEI has worked with more than 790 school districts across the nation and has helped school districts save more than $1 billion in 20 years.“