The East Liverpool, Ohio, school district released a preliminary analysis of how it uses energy in preparation for potential upgrades. The report, which was prepared by Columbus-based Plug Smart,shows that the district is doing well even before work begins. Plug Smart is a project development company.
The report compared the district to 160 other school districts. East Liverpool has about a 62 EUI (Energy Use Intensity) per square foot. That compares to a 71 EUI in the comparable schools, the story says. That translates into savings: East Liverpool spends about $1.09 per square foot, compared to $1.16 by the other schools, a savings of about 5.9 percent.
There still is room for improvement, according to the report. The district’s annual utility budget is $534,168. Of that, $415,784 is spent on electricity. The rest is spent on gas. The report says that lighting upgrades could reduce expenditures by $104,000. The board is considering taking this step, the story says.
School systems are paying great attention to energy issues. It makes sense. One of the most ambitious ongoing projects is at the Boulder Valley School District in Colorado. The district is in the midst of a long and ambitious energy efficiency project. A key planning principle that has emerged is that the best results come from intense stakeholder cooperation during the planning stages. Energy Manager Today spoke with Jeff Medwetz, the Project Manager of Energy Systems, earlier this month.
