Green technology has reduced energy costs at one LCS building by an estimated 62 percent and combined future energy savings at two new middle schools are expected to save the equivalent of a teacher’s salary each year.Geo thermal technology was installed into the Administration & Services Center when it was remodeled from an elementary school into the administration office in 2007.
A 12-month study showed that the cost of heating the new building was $16,000 or $0.62 per square foot. When it was an elementary school the annual cost was $41,800 or $1.61 per square foot.
The cost savings are more remarkable when you consider that the elementary school did not have air conditioning as the remodeled building has.
“We are projecting that the District will save approximately $40,000 each at Rolland-Warner and Zemmer Middle Schools each year compared to a conventional heating and cooling system,” said Dan Jerome, senior associate at French Associates, Inc., the District’s architect.
The system works by circulating a mixture of water and environmentally safe anti-freeze through pipes buried underground near each of the buildings. With a constant below ground temperature of 51 degrees the pipes and liquid serve as an effective climate exchanger for the buildings.
Maintenance is also simpler with no combustion flames, boilers or outdoor fans or compressors.
“In these tough economic times, it is critical that we save every dollar we can from areas that don’t directly impact on student education,” said Superintendent Debbie Thompson. “We continue to seek ways to trim our budget without affecting the classroom.”
