By Emma Rausch
emma@thepaperofwabash.com
WABASH COUNTY, Ind. – MSD of Wabash County’s Board of Education save more than $500,000 by making Northfield and Southwood high schools more energy efficient, according to Shana Lopez, of Performance Services.
Lopez informed the board Tuesday, July 11, that since the school corporation implemented the energy-saving program through Performance Services in 2007, it has saved $509,333 in nine years.
“So what that amounts to is, over nine years, you saved $509,000 off your utilities bills and that’s measured directly after your month bills,” Lopez said.
The program replaced items including classroom unit vents, boilers, hot water heater and control systems among other amenities at the Southwood and Northfield high school facilities. The changes improved both facilities’ Energy Star ranking (ESR) from Northfield’s 51 ESR in 2007 to 93 currently and Southwood’s former ESR of 81 to its current 94 rank.
“That Energy Star score is basically like a grade and grades other buildings like yours,” Lopez said. “So when you put in those attributes it compares to other schools to your size in the Midwest and a score 94, which is Southwood I believe, is top 6 percent and Northfield is 93 so that’s top 7 (percent).”
Chris Kuhn, MSD assistant superintendent of finance, thanked Lopez for the report.
“Thank you for helping us become more efficient with our energy usage,” Kuhn said.
“As a board, we’re always concerned about maximizing dollars,” Kevin Bowman, MSD board president, added. “So it’s encouraging to know that even though our buildings may be older, they’re right at the top as far as efficiency.”
Read more on this topic and other stories in the July 19 issue of The Paper of Wabash.