No One Likes an Energy Hog
POTTSTOWN, PA – At last Thursday’s Pottstown School Board Committee of the Whole meeting, the results of an energy audit were presented to the Board by Reynolds Energy Services, an independently-owned energy consulting firm based in Harrisburg that focuses on working with clients to make their facilities as energy efficient as possible.
Today’s Mercury reports on the results presented to the Board:
Pottstown School Board gets grim report card on energy efficiency
The good news is that the middle school is the most energy efficient building (receiving an Energy Star rating of 66…with 70 being the average). The bad news is that the high school and the five elementary school buildings fared far worse (receiving ratings in the twenties, teens and single digits).
As reported in the article, the consultants stated that simple procedures (like turning off the lights in unused rooms) could result in “significant energy savings”. See? Dad was right!
Interestingly, there was no mention of geo-thermal heating or any kind of energy savings related to installing that type of system in the school buildings. Nor was there any mention of installing historically-accurate windows and how they might result in energy savings.
While the district’s modular units were mentioned in the report, their results were not fully discussed during Thursday’s meeting. Although, it was mentioned that the electrical energy costs for the district’s 23 modular units is $45,000. So….let’s just say that you want to propose removing 10 modular units from the electrical grid. That would result in a savings of somewhere south of $20,000. Hmmm. While saving money is always a good thing…saving $20,000 and not proposing a workable and realistic plan (with correct and accurate facts and figures) for those modular units you want to get rid of is a total joke. The district would be better off saving that kind of money by reducing the pensions and benefits of retired school teachers.
The energy audit report should definitely be forwarded to the President’s Task Force, as they are currently in the process of exploring all options regarding the future of Pottstown’s five elementary schools.
It makes sense to spend $1.5 million to make our school buildings more energy efficient…especially since the price tag to do so is nowhere near the $15 million price tag proposed by Board Member Thomas Hylton earlier this year.
Here’s a link:
http://www.wyoarea.org/webpages/cnugent/energy_management.cfm
Mr. Nugent is a science teacher and you can access more info by clicking on links on the left side of this page. There are also links at the bottom of the page for proposals and projections on various timelines.
COOL stuff!!
If I recall, Mr. Hylton’s presentation (not really a plan, if you want my opinion) tagged the modifications to the HS/MS at about 2 million, alone. If you go by those numbers then this seems to be a good plan since it indicates how long work takes, when the work occurs (in most cases overnight hours – NO interruption to school sessions – and in most cases out of student areas), the savings in dollars and cents (couple that with how long till the expenditures are paid off) AND a guarantee for their projections (if they are awarded the contract to do the job).
Is it me or is this just a ‘no-brainer’? Looks like, if employed, these modifications would slim down our hogs quite a bit!! Let’s get off the ‘Most Wanted’ list!!
While the Task Force plugs this new information into their overall evaluation, maybe the District can look into participating in The Green Challenge. http://www.greencupchallenge.net/index.html It lays out fun and simple ways to get students and staff aware of and involved in reducing energy usage/costs. I think Pottstown High would be in the Northeast Day School category. Finishing high on the list would definitely be something for the District to brag about
Sue
Positively!Pottstown
monkeybizness – I just came across a handout someone recently gave out at a community gardens discussion. Wissahickon has also started a sustainable gardening and healthy eating project in their district.
http://www.wsdweb.org/AboutWSD/CommunityPartners/WissahickonGardens/tabid/846/Default.aspx
Looks like they’ve just gotten started this year. Here’s an article about it:
http://www.montgomerynews.com/articles/2010/06/04/ambler_gazette/news/doc4c05f67907edc961092915.txt
If the Pottstown district embraced an energy efficiency program and sustainable gardening as part of its curricula at all levels, not only could there be cost savings, but also the projection of a whole new image – of a frugal, sensible community – that is another key to overall revitalization efforts. (Of course, in addition to getting the facilities and fiscal house in order.)
Sue
Positively!Pottstown