Study says LVUSD is saving money on energy

By Stephanie Bertholdo Acorn Staff Writer

An energy saving plan for a local school district is apparently working.

To preserve resources for classrooms during California’s budget crunch, Las Virgenes Unified School District hired Energy Education, Inc. (EEI). It’s a consulting firm that monitors and offers plans to reduce gas, water and electricity consumption––and save money.

Mike Adams, the EEI energy consultant who’s been hired to manage LVUSD’s energy costs, presented a report to the board of education recently outlining eight months of savings due to the innovative program.

EEI has been tracking the district’s costs and consumption of electricity, gas and water. The database was divided into two parts, the first being a base year view of what LVUSD spent on energy costs prior to hiring EEI compared to the savings year, which is the 12-month period after the program was instituted.

The goals are to maintain comfort, minimize energy waste and save money. Changes in weather, square footage of the facilities, different lengths of billing periods and changes in equipment or programs were taken into consideration when preparing the eight-month energy update report.

Adams gave a visual presentation to help board members visualize the cost savings. He compared the base year costs and expected costs to actual costs over the first eight months of 2003. The utility cost (electrical) comparison showed that LVUSD has saved nearly $129,000 over the expected cost, while water and sewer savings reached $57,850. Natural gas savings totaled $12,266.

The total avoided expense, Adams explained, was $198,907 for the period of December 2002 through July 2003. The sum translates into 17.3 percent.

Adams also outlined the environmental benefits of the conservation program. In his report he said, "The EPA estimates that every kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity use avoided prevents the emission of the following: 1.5 pounds of carbon dioxide, 5.8 grams of sulfur dioxide, 2.5 grams of nitrogen oxides."

LVUSD saved more than 777,000 kWh during the eight month period the program has been in place. The report said that these savings are equal to 1,167 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions being prevented or 109 automobiles being removed from the highways annually or 226 acres of trees being planted.

Don Zimring, deputy superintendent of the district, said that Adams is trained regarding what to look for and how to maximize the savings.

The program is a "zero sum contract," which means that the energy savings exceed the cost of the consultant.

"It’s a win-win situation for everybody," Zimring said.