Energy Audits for Pennsylvania Schools
(For information on energy consulting for boarding schools and college campuses, please click here.)
Across the state, schools are facing the daunting task of cutting operational costs without sacrificing services. Instead of cutting jobs or programs, some schools are saving significant amounts of money by implementing energy conservation measures and managing energy usage.
Typically, the biggest energy consumers in a school are the mechanical and lighting systems. An Envinity energy audit of a school’s mechanical system frequently uncovers low cost upgrades to existing boilers and hot water heaters. Envinity will provide recommendations for low cost retrofits and altering existing controls and operation schedules. In the most severe cases, Envinity will model the building to size appropriate high efficiency replacements.
Envinity also examines a school’s building envelope, which encompasses air infiltration, insulation, and weather stripping. A school energy audit also studies the efficiencies of lighting systems and controls; water efficiency, heating, and conservation; and equipment energy usage (such as cooking facilities, office equipment, and equipment associated with elective programs). Diagnostic testing includes a blower door test and an infrared scan, which determine how your school performs under cold weather conditions. Daylighting and landscaping options, through which external surfaces of the building might be altered in order to offer improved internal lighting, will also be examined.
As part of the audit, schools will receive a comprehensive energy management plan offering recommendations for retrofitting, replacement, and energy management opportunities. The report will also include financial payback analysis, including estimated annual savings, estimated cost to implement, simple payback, and a savings-to-investment ratio (SIR) for each recommendation. This gives organizations an opportunity to prioritize and budget energy efficiency measures.
Although many efficiency measures pay for themselves within the first five years, it can still be a challenge to find funding to implement efficiency measures. Envinity works with schools to help identify financing measures, offering grant writing services, funding identification, and low interest loan identification. Contact us today to find out how your school can save money and become more efficient with a comprehensive energy audit.
