schools shine brighter while utility bills get lighter
Case study on the Northland School Division
Energy efficiency has the potential to save an Alberta school division $700,000 on their $1.2 million annual utility bill – savings that can be reinvested into additional infrastructure upgrades.
An energy efficiency audit was completed at the Northland School Division after the division found they were spending too much money on utilities and their maintenance team was too busy driving from school to school. Now energy efficiency is a priority for the school district, which has K-12 schools throughout northern Alberta.
Project highlights
- A simple proposal to upgrade lighting fixtures has resulted in major electricity reductions.
- Facility-wide lighting upgrades completed at two schools, resulting in a 10 per cent decrease in electricity use at Athabasca Delta Community School and a 23 per cent decrease at Anzac Community School. Smaller upgrades completed at three additional locations.
- Lighting upgrades provide a safer, more comfortable lighting environment.
- LED fixtures replaced a combination of fluorescent and metal halide lamps. Lifespans for these new LED fixtures are about 4 times higher than previous lamps, reducing maintenance requirements.
- Upgrades are in progress at four more schools.
Savings are possible, but where to start?
Northland School Division covers an area twice as large as New Brunswick and Nova Scotia combined, serving the needs of about 2,000 students at 20 schools. With aging infrastructure, maintaining facilities in a massive geographic area and costly utility bills, it was clear that energy savings were possible for the Alberta school division. But what to tackle first?
Northland enlisted the support of Rede to create a plan. Rede works with rural school districts to improve energy efficiency and make the best use of tight budgets for school facility maintenance.
“Reducing maintenance costs in rural schools helps to ensure they’re sustainable and remain the vital community hubs they are,” says Marco Bieri, Energy Efficiency Engineer at Rede.
Northland’s energy efficiency blueprint
Rede brought their expertise to the project, but they looked to the school community for insights. By engaging administrators, facilities staff, teachers and students, an Energy Management Charter was created.
Energy Management Charter
The Energy Management Charter serves as a blueprint for ongoing efficiency projects. It embraces three core principles:
- Simplicity balanced with efficiency
- Standardization
- Remote access
To guide all energy efficiency initiatives, the charts includes three key strategies:
- Keep it local
- Staff training
- Reinvest savings
“The Energy Management Charter keeps our team focused,” says Wayne Turpin, Division Construction Manager with Northland.
“Its shared values ensure we keep reinvesting energy savings back into our priorities.”
Diving into school energy efficiency
Energy audits of Northland’s facilities were conducted and analyzed. Rede helped Northland to prioritize projects and create a detailed plan of action. The Business Energy Savings program through Energy Efficiency Alberta provided incentives to help Northland offset some of the immediate capital costs of the project.
Northland’s existing lighting stock is primarily fluorescent lamps in classrooms, hallways and administration, and then metal halides in gymnasiums and larger common areas. In addition to a higher power requirement, these fixtures have a shorter lifespan than LED lights, leading to additional maintenance trips. Upgraded fixtures are compatible with a wireless control system and have the ability for remote maintenance in the future.
For more information about LED lighting upgrades in K-12 schools, see Rede’s best practices for school LED lighting.
The results
Two schools were selected as pilot projects for the upgrades: Anzac Community School and Athabasca Delta Community School. Upgrades were carried out in the first few months of 2018, with some exterior replacements were postponed to the late spring. In total, over 1,000 fixtures were replaced in Athabasca Community School and almost 300 in Anzac Community School.
Improved student experience
The improvement was immediately noticeable. Patchy and low-quality lighting in each school’s gymnasium was transformed. Glares and hotspots in the classrooms were eliminated. Student experience was improved at both schools.
Smaller utility bills
The impact on Northland utility bills was clear. From May to December 2018, electricity consumption at Anzac Community School and Athabasca Delta Community School decreased by over 75,000 kWh – resulting in savings over almost $8,500.
Capital costs are projected to be recovered from these upgrades within four years for Anzac and within eight years for Athabasca.
Next steps for Northland
Energy efficiency upgrades are continuing at Northland School Division. Smaller lighting upgrades are now complete at Bishop Routhier School, St. Theresa School and Bill Woodward School. Additional lighting upgrades are underway at in Paddle Prairie, Grouard, Calling Lake, and Father Perin schools.
Wayne Turpin is excited for how energy efficiency is playing a role in Northland’s future.
“We’re looking at a savings opportunity of over half a million dollars a year. Whether you’re a school, a bank, or an oil firm – that’s a number you can’t ignore.”