Reducing school district energy expenditures has become a universal goal, and new technologies have brought greater energy efficiencies to the school environment. In Part 1 of this two-part series, the author discussed the steps required to establish an energy conservation and management program with an emphasis on lighting. In this article, he…

Reducing school district energy expenditures has become a universal goal. However, school board members, superintendents, and directors of buildings and grounds are often unaware of the many options available to conserve energy. School energy conservation used to be relatively simple: turn off the lights and turn down the heat in the winter and…

At budget-crunching time, school administrators and business officials sometimes find themselves trimming the district's budget for teachers, textbooks, and technology in order to cover ballooning energy costs. Nearly one-third of the energy consumed in the average U.S. school is wasted. The country's least efficient schools use four times more…

Every year, K-12 facilities waste millions of dollars in excess energy consumption. Those dollars may take the form of lost heat through walls, windows, doors, and roofs. Or the villain may be poorly conceived or mismanaged control systems. Those excess funds that districts are sending to the local utility companies could be invested "at home" to…

Building energy-efficient school facilities is not just about being "green." It is about providing high-performance facilities that are safe, healthy, and conducive to learning. It is also about building facilities that are cost-effective from their inception and in the long term. Many school districts are working under ever-tightening…

Ways to provide adequate illumination, but at the same time minimize costs in school facilities. (Author/MLF)

Energy conservation measures at Longmont High School (Colorado), including reducing air entry, heating water only during school hours, and lowering lighting levels, are expected to save 45 percent in natural gas usage and 20 percent in electric usage. (Author/MLF)

New metal halide lighting systems installed in Phoenix outdoor recreational facilities reduce energy consumption 65 percent and have a life ten times that of the old incandescent lamps. (Author/MLF)

Using Keene "Director" fixtures, a Rotterdam, New York, school will save over $16,000 annually and have improved classroom light. These fixtures will pay for themselves in 3-4 years, halving the wattage used per square foot; they direct 40 percent of their light upward to provide uniform, glare-free lighting. (MCG)

Outlines an energy management program to be presented at the annual meeting of the Association of School Business Officials. The program is based on the Carleton Board of Education (Ontario) energy management program. (Author/MLF)

Merrimack College in North Andover (Massachusetts) has reduced the cost of lighting its physical education center by over 70 percent; the new lighting system, which uses metal halide lamps, has also doubled the illumination in the building, attracting revenue-producing activities. (MCG)

In 1986, Northeast Utilities began helping shool administrators combat school building energy wastage through a program called Energy Alliance. The typical school can reduce its energy bill by 30 percent by adopting a wide range of conservation measures, including cogeneration, relamping, and energy audits. (MLH)

A Houston, Texas, school district has found that indirect lighting fixtures combined with skylights lower energy bills and provide softer, more natural lighting. A principal feels the softer light may have a calming effect on students' behavior. (MLF)

Advises administrators how to develop an energy master plan and how to reduce the usage of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems by means of a time clock, thermostat, and a scheduled preventive maintenance program. (MLF)

Ways for school officials to take the initiative in designing and implementing a plan of energy conservation. (Author/MLF)