Schneider Electric -
August 6, 2009
Texas School District Takes Steps to Save Energy, Improve Operations with $3.3 M Performance Contract
TAC Guarantees Savings Will Result From Energy Conservation Measures
Dallas – August 6, 2009 – The Bay City Independent School District (ISD) in Bay City, Texas is implementing $3.3 million in facility enhancements designed to improve operations, comfort and efficiency in nine district buildings. TAC by Schneider Electric, the building management and energy services business of Schneider Electric, will complete the work as a performance contract with the district. TAC guarantees that the Bay City ISD will reduce its utility costs by $289,000 annually when the project is completed in March 2010.
The Bay City ISD serves approximately 4,000 Pre-K -12 students on seven campuses in this south Texas community. Mechanical system problems resulted in high utility costs at the high school, constant maintenance at other schools, and overall ineffective cooling. The district turned to TAC to resolve these issues and more.
“This is Bay City ISD’s second project with TAC, and we trust them to provide the most effective solutions to our facility problems,” said Keith Brown, superintendent, Bay City ISD. “Through performance contracting, our district will get both energy savings and needed mechanical improvements using the money we are already spending on utilities. This means we don’t have to tap our maintenance and operations budget dollars or ask the taxpayers for more money.” Mr. Brown has partnered with TAC for four projects at three Texas school districts.
Performance contracting offers many long-term benefits for school districts, such as improved facility efficiency, occupant comfort, financial management and environmental protection. Typically, new, more efficient equipment and upgraded facility automation systems maximize energy efficiency and generate utility savings. TAC guarantees the amount of savings performance contracting projects will achieve and agrees to pay the difference if that amount is not realized.
TAC will apply a variety of energy conservation measures to improve efficiency and comfort at the Bay City schools, installing a new direct digital control (DDC) energy management system (EMS) at Bay City High School and completing other EMS upgrades throughout the district. Lighting retrofits at Bay City High School and at gyms and cafeterias throughout the district will improve illumination and save energy. Mechanical system improvements will include new chillers, boilers and other system replacements at various schools.
“TAC’s objective is to replace failing equipment at various schools, upgrade and improve lighting in gymnasiums throughout the district, and obtain tremendous energy savings at the high school,” said Shon Anderson, vice president of sales, TAC Energy Solutions. “These improvements will not only provide students and staff in the Bay City ISD a better learning and working environment, they will also protect the investment that the community made in its school facilities.”
Other benefits of the performance contact include the ability to condition the offices at the high school without operating the whole campus; a new water well to supply water for the high school cooling tower; and one EMS provider for the entire district. A single EMS will enable the maintenance staff to manage all the district’s mechanical systems from a single workstation, for more effective control and troubleshooting, as well enabling the district to obtain notable energy savings.