Who turned out the lights?
Clarkston school officials know who it was, and they’re sending a message to students, teachers, support staff and custodians across the district: Thanks. Over the last two years you helped us save $820,000 in energy costs.
Seven of the district’s schools received Energy Star Award Recognition at Monday’s school board meeting, joining the ranks of 139 K-12 buildings in Michigan to achieve such standards.
‘When we started looking at energy savings as part of the 2003 bond issue..we wanted something practical and something we could really show some savings on,? said school board President Stephen Hyer. ‘Gary (Soggs) has done an excellent job’I’d much rather spend dollars in the classroom than send it to the electric company or the gas company.?
When he came on board as the district’s energy savings manager in 2005, Soggs asked employees to give up portable heaters and refrigerators, turn off lights, and power down computers.
Along with Director of Buildings and Grounds Wes Goodman, Soggs also worked on upgrades and automatic controls for lighting, heating, air conditioning and other equipment, funded mostly by a $78-million capital-improvement millage in 2003.
A three-part approach, Soggs said, makes the program successful; an energy committee, frequent auditing and utility bill tracking, and interaction with the entire school community.
The district’s custodial team received a great deal of praise.
‘Our custodial staff has worked really hard,? said Clarkston Elementary Princial Dana Pennanen. ‘We’ve had some great out-of-the-box thinking to come up with ways to conserve energy.?
Savings at Clarkston Elementary added up to some $60,000 over the past two years.
Andersonville, Bailey Lake, Pine Knob, Springfield Plains, Clarkston High School and the Clarkston Community Education building also earned recognition.
‘Our goal is to bring the other seven buildings in, too,? Soggs told the board, explaining Energy Star guidelines require separate meters and 12 months of data before a building can be considered.
In addition to financial savings, Soggs noted energy conservation efforts in the district also helped prevent the release of 654 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
‘It’s (the equivalent) of taking 120 cars off the highway,? he said.
Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy aimed at helping save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.
For more information, check out www.energystar.gov