California Schools Retrofit Lighting with LED

Reporting by Michelle Mitchell- Desert Sun

LED Lighting Retrofits save Schools Thousands of Dollars

From new light bulbs to solar panels, Coachella Valley schools are increasingly going green in an effort to save money down the road.The infrastructure changes cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in a time of unprecedented budget cuts to education throughout the valley. But the efficiency updates ultimately will save money that can be spent on teachers and students rather than utilities, officials said.



Maintenance Engineers Involved in LED Lighting Retrofits
 
“We're just trying to save everybody money,” said Gregg Shoemaker, director of maintenance and operations at Palm Springs Unified. “It's a win-win.”

Energy Efficiency projects already have started to pay off for local districts.

Palm Springs Unified saved 5 percent on its $4 million electric bill in 2009 and expects to save 10 percent in 2010, said Julie Arthur, the district's executive director of facilities planning and development. That's from about $500,000 in investment, she said.

Coachella Valley Unified, which created a green committee, is installing new lights and fixtures at 12 schools that will pay for themselves with savings within five years.

Desert Sands Unified started to really look at energy conservation in the early 1990s — another slow budget time for education — and most school sites have improved their efficiency by 5 percent to 10 percent in recent years, said Terry Parker, retiring district director of maintenance, operations and transportation.

The district has saved as much as $500,000 in one year on utilities, Parker said.

“We want to be green,” said Tony Barrios, facilities project manager at Coachella Valley Unified. “We understand that there is a need for the school district to set the example for the community.”



Now that school is out for the summer, districts are taking advantage of the break to finish some efficiency projects. New air conditioners or updated components, and more efficient lights are being installed at several schools throughout the valley. The lower-wattage lights will save $30,000 annually at Coachella Valley High alone, according to a new monthly green newsletter CVUSD is producing.

Lighting and air conditioning costs comprise 75 to 80 percent of Palm Springs Unified's electricity costs, Shoemaker said. Replacing the lights also saves cooling costs because the efficient lights create less heat.


Desert Sands also is looking at LED lights — another efficiency measure being piloted at the district office — this summer.


Desert Hot Springs High may already qualify as an Energy Star School — a distinction that could come with extra incentives — based on its current usage, Jacobs said.

For complete article please visit Desert Sun 
Michelle Mitchell covers education for The Desert Sun. Reach her at (760) 778-4642 or Michelle.Mitchell @thedesertsun.com

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