D155: Energy Efficiency Program Saves Taxpayers $200K

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL – District 155’s energy efficiency program has saved taxpayers nearly $200,000, district officials said last week. The savings come as part of the district's participation in voluntary load reduction program and applying for rebate grants.

“There is a misconception that as a public school district we do not actively seek opportunities to save our taxpayers money. The energy efficiency program that our operations department has initiated, with the support and cooperation of our building leaders, has made this beneficial and successful. We are more efficient and saving money,” District 155 Steve Olson said in a news release.

The district has participated in the Voluntary Load Reduction program, an incentive program offered by EnerNOC, that pays volunteer commercial customers for reducing the electrical load during peak usage periods and/or during the annual load shed test event, according to the news release.

The four high schools reduced power during the scheduled test event on August 16, 2016, and the district was paid $17,600 during Fiscal Year 2017 for meeting 70 percent of its reduction goal. District 155 met 100 percent of its goal during the August 29, 2017, test event for Fiscal Year 2018, and has received more than $15,700 and expects approximately $15,000 more over the remainder of the current fiscal year.

District 155 has been awarded more than $166,500 in rebate grants since 2016 through the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity and the ComEd Energy Efficiency Program.

The district operations staff has utilized these grant and load reduction monies to replace old fluorescent light fixtures with LED fixtures in the parking lots and gymnasiums at all four high schools. LED lighting also has been installed in the hallways at Cary-Grove and Crystal Lake Central High Schools. Staff is in the process of installing LED lighting in the classrooms at Cary-Grove High School. Energy efficient improvements are also being made to boilers and HVAC systems, according to the District 155 news release.

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