Energy Conservation Program

Energy conservation has always been and will always be the most economical and most environmentally friendly source of "new" energy.

In the spring of 2007 the Ogden School Board implemented an energy policy calling for all district employees to conserve energy in our schools. The services of Energy Education Inc. was contracted for 4 years to help develop a people-based energy program with a guaranteed minimum energy savings and a promise of more savings. The district hired an Energy Educator/Specialist to develop and implement the district's Energy Operating Procedures and Guidelines.

In 2009, under the direction of the Energy Specialist, the district became an Energy Star partner and qualified all of our Elementary and Jr. High Schools as Top Performers in Energy Star which puts them in the top 20% of all schools in the nation for energy use. With a combined reduction in energy consumption of 30% since our base year of June 2006 through May of 2007.

What is the role of the Energy Educator/Specialist?

Maintain Comfort & Safety In Occupied Areas

Coordinate usage of facilities and monitor operational efficiency of equipment vs. design.

Eliminate Energy Waste

Audit buildings during unoccupied times.
Monitor building usage during occupied times.
Track & analyze consumption for building efficiency.
Use web-based tools & diagnostic loggers to track waste.
Maintain energy policy and guidelines.

Save Public Funds

Minimize consumption and demand charges.
Audit and monitor utility bills & meters for errors or overcharges.
Evaluate usage trends for abnormalities.
Investigate rebate and grant programs.

Why Conserve?

Energy use and rates have increased over the years. Natural gas, electricity, and water cost the school district $2.4 million in our base year. Energy is a consumable resource so all money spent here cannot be spent on programs or other educational expenses. Conserving energy saves in two ways:

Money saved due to reduced energy consumption can be utilized for programs and buildings, improving our children's learning environment.
Conserving energy reduces our carbon footprint and saves our natural resources for future generations.

Questions? Contact Darwin Smith, Energy Specialist 801-737-8814 smithdar@ogdensd.org

How You Can Help

Classroom

The Little Things Do Add Up.

“The 5-Watt” Story

100W monitor uses only 5-watts when unattended (sleep mode).
That’s a 95% reduction. Most folks think this is enough.
5-watts x 16hr/night x 200 nights/yr x $0.10 rate = ~$2/yr.
That’s only ONE PENNY per night wasted per monitor to leave the monitor on with the PC off.
There are about 6,000 PC’s in our district.
That’s ~$12,000 per year saved from just 5-watts!!!!!

If every teacher does something to save $0.50/day, there would be a lot of money by the end of the school year.

We have 650 teachers x $0.50/day x 180/days = $58,500

The potential district wide cost avoidance for classroom activities amounts to over $350,000 per year.

Close my door during class time.
Corridors in most schools are not heated or cooled to the same level that the classrooms are. Leaving the classroom door open requires the HVAC to heat/cool a space many times that of the classroom, wasting energy and making the classroom feel the effects of opening outside doors. Typically there is a 3% to 4% or $28,000 in potential savings for our district when the door is closed.
Turn off my lights when I leave my room
One 4 bulb fluorescent fixture consumes approximately 180 Watts of power. If my classroom has 20 fixtures I can save the district $72/year by turning the lights off for an hour/day when the room is not occupied. Looking at this from a district wide standpoint that is $54,000/year in cost avoidance. It is more economical to turn incandescent and fluorescent lights off each time you leave the room.
Unplug my TV/VCR/DVD, etc. when not in use.
Televisions, DVD/video players, microwaves, coffee pots, etc. consume energy even when turned off. A typical setup of a TV, DVD and VCR may consume over 15 Watts of energy, just sitting there plugged in. That is a potential cost of $60/year if left plugged in during the school year. Unplugging the TV equipment when not in use can save the district over $40,000 per year.
Shutdown my computer, turn off my monitor, speakers and printer at the end of each day using a surge protector.
By turning off our districts approx. 5,500 computers for just 12 hours/school day and all day on weekends and holidays could, based on an electricity rate of $.10/kwh, result in an annual savings of over $171.435.
A computer, monitor and printer left connected to a power source is similar to the TV example above. Turning the power off at the surge protector at the end of each day will save the school district an additional $32,065 per year.
Ask my IT technician to program my PC(s) and monitor(s) for the “energy saver” mode after 10 minutes of inactivity. If my computer and monitor are not programmed to go into energy save mode they can consume as much as 200 Watts of power. Screen Savers do not conserve energy. Using power management can save over 70% of power consumption. That is a $4/year saving per computer or a district cost avoidance potential of $24,000/year.
Close your Windows and Blinds at the end of each School Day. Closing window shading devices (curtains, blinds) at the end of each day will help in reducing night heat loss in the winter and solar heat gain in the summer.

*The numbers used above were typical values. The actual values may be more or less dependent on the specific equipment you use. Some of the information used was provided by the report found at http://eetd.lbl.gov/EA/Reports/46212/

Custodial

ENERGY SAVING SUGGESTIONS FOR CUSTODIANS

When arriving in the morning, turn on only enough lights to do your morning duties.

Do not turn on classroom or office lights.

Cafeteria and gym lights should be left on only when areas are occupied.

Cafeteria staff should turn on kitchen lights when needed

Teacher workroom lights should be turned off when areas are unoccupied. As you pass these areas, please turn off the lights if unoccupied.

Turn your storage and mechanical room lights off when you are not using them.

If hall lights are not needed in the morning when you arrive, leave them off. Turn them on only when teachers start to arrive.

As you clean a room, turn the lights off after you finish cleaning.

Make sure all outside security lighting is off during daylight hours. Regularly check time clocks for proper on off times.

Follow night and weekend shutdown checklists. Train student custodians to properly transition lighting and shut down buildings.

The custodians are very important to the success of the Ogden School Districts energy program. It is not the intent to create more work, but to make you aware of the important role you play in saving energy.

Students

Tips for students to help reduce energy use, save money and protect the environment

1. Give it a rest
Use the power management settings on your computers and monitors so they go into power save mode when not in use. Also use a power strip as a central “turn off” point to completely disconnect the power supply.

2. Unplug it
Unplug electronics such as cell phones and laptops once they are charged. Adapters plugged into outlets use energy even if they are not charging.

3. Close the doors
Close the doors to your classrooms when you are heating or cooling. It takes longer and more energy to heat or cool a room when the door is open. Also outside doors should remain closed.

4. Turn off the Lights
Turn off the lights when you leave the room. Assign a class member to monitor the lights in your room and make sure they are off when you go to lunch or recess.