STAFF REPORTS
A dozen Hays CISD campuses have earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) prestigious Energy Star, the national symbol for energy efficiency.
Campuses and commercial buildings that rate in the top 25 percent of facilities in the nation for energy efficiency qualify for the Energy Star.
Buildings that earn the Energy Star use an average of 40 percent less energy than typical buildings and release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
In 2003, the district began energy management practices at a number of campuses. Some of the steps taken over the past six years include:
• Commission of standardized direct digital controls
• Replacement of inefficient heat pumps, cooling towers and HVAC units
• Installation of motion sensors for lighting
• Hiring of “coil cleaners”
• Purchase of a thermal imaging camera to detect HVAC duct leaks and water intrusion, and
• Installing programmable thermostats on all portable classroom buildings.
“During the six years of the energy management program, we have repurposed $2.5 million,” said R.C. Herrin, Hays CISD executive director of maintenance and operations.
The savings have been directed in the following manner:
• 10 percent returned to the campuses
• 15 percent placed in the district’s fund balance, or savings account, to offset future electricity rate increases
• 25 percent set aside for replacement of maintenance and operations vehicles
• 25 percent for hiring new personnel for energy management, and
• 25 percent to fund future energy management projects.
“We are pleased to accept the EPA’s Energy Star in recognition of our energy efficiency efforts,” Herrin said. “Through this achievement, we have demonstrated our commitment to environmental stewardship, while lowering our energy costs.”
Energy management and savings fit into the district’s five-year strategic plan, which includes several proposals for further energy efficiencies to support the strategy: “We will infuse instruction with environmental stewardship and integrate sound environmental practices into facility design, construction and operation.”
