Schools

District 86 Energy Program Leads to $17,000 in Savings

The report measured a 14-month span; board members disagreed on whether another energy management company should be allowed to make a presentation.

With the help of an outside consultant,  avoided $239,850 in energy costs due to energy-saving measures such as temperature and light adjustments from October 2009 to January 2011, according to a report discussed at Monday night’s board of education meeting.

The actual budget savings, though, are smaller.

Business Manager Jeff Eagan said the district pays monthly fees to Energy Education, Inc., to administer the program. With those fees taken into account, the district saved a net total of approximately $17,000 over the above time period. 

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The cost avoidance number, Eagan said, is based on a comparison to projected district costs had it continued its practices from before October 2009.

Examples of steps the district has made to reduce energy costs are more carefully noting when hallway lights are on and off, and what temperatures are set at when rooms or buildings are not occupied.

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“It’s about changing behaviors, not discomfort,” Eagan said.

According to the business manager, the district is not going to cut the temperature in a classroom 10 degrees in the winter to lower heating bills, “but when that room is not occupied there should be no lights and a reasonable temperature.”

Eagan said the status quo before the district hired Energy Education was to not pay as much attention to such scenarios.

Not so fast

At a two-and-a-half-hour meeting where board-member disagreement occurred on numerous agenda items—from the validity of past board agreements to the District 86 email system—the energy program was no exception.

Board member Dr. Richard Skoda questioned whether the services of Energy Education are worthwhile and board member Dianne Barrett suggested the board allow Modern Energy Management, a company who has emailed the board suggesting ways it can help the district save money, to make a presentation.

“It’s just keeping our minds open to all aspects of the different emerging technologies,” Barrett said.

Superintendant Dr. Nicholas Wahl responded to Skoda by saying the district is saving money despite the monthly fees and Board President Dennis Brennan responded to Barrett by suggesting the board not scrutinize this choice of business partner made by a past board.

“It seems like we’re going backward rather than forward,” Brennan said. “If we’re going to look at every decision over the last two years, it’s going to be long. “

The president said the body should trust past boards and the administrators they worked with.

“Having the board do it again seems like a waste of time when we have other issues we can be looking at,” Brennan said.

Eagan said an “apples to apples” comparison between Modern Energy Management’s proposition and the district’s current program can’t be made and the emails received were part of a blast sent to school districts all across the state. 


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