Madison schools make the upgrade
In 1998, the Madison (Wis.) Metropolitan School District (MMSD) was recognized as an Honor Society Member of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Partnership for its energy conservation achievements at four area high schools. Since then, the district has expanded its energy conservation efforts by installing energy saving equipment at 15 area elementary and middle schools, totaling 1.1 million square feet.
“We wanted to make sure that we had success with the high school projects [Phase I]. Then we went to performance contract Phase II where we went out to the other buildings [in the school district] and did the same thing,” says Doug Pearson, director of building services for the MMSD. “The majority of the retrofit work during Phase II was done during the summer of 2001.”
The MMSD selected Morristown, N.J.-based Honeywell as its partner in performance contracting. The company performed initial energy audits at the schools to identify the equipment that, with an upgrade, could supply the most in energy savings. The upgrades included the addition of frequency drives, building controls, motion sensors on flush valves, insulation on mechanical piping and water heaters, and temperature control calibration, as well as lighting retrofits.
The schools also installed an EBI Building Automation System. Motion sensors indicate whether large areas such as gyms and cafeterias are occupied and adjust the temperature accordingly.
“We continue to try to look for opportunities to save energy, and, in addition, we encourage instructors to put sections in their science programs to educate students on energy conservation,” Pearson says. “We are also in the process of developing a Web site that [shows students] an adjustable speed drive. They will be able to see a motor cycle down and cycle up and see the cost of utilities go up and down. Then they can calculate the amount of carbon dioxide that is saved. We are still trying to find a way to do it with a firewall so that kids can’t actually get into my control system.”
Costing approximately $4.3 million, the project was funded with a lease purchase through a local bank. The MMSD expects that the project will pay for itself in about 10 years through energy savings, which thus far have totaled about $412,860 annually.