Pub. 2 2012-2013 Issue 1

17 A cross the country, schools are looking for ways to get the most out of tight budgets and keep educational efforts strong. Some have discovered that making their buildings more energy efficient can generate sig- nificant cost savings. For several years, Weber School District has been taking advantage of Rocky Mountain Power’s FinAnswer® Express program to install high-efficiency equipment in district schools, saving energy and money. FinAnswer Express provides cash incentives to commercial and industrial customers when they upgrade to heating and cooling, lighting and other equipment that increase a facility’s electric energy efficiency. Both new construction and retrofit projects may qualify. Efficiency, reliability improves Weber School District’s Uintah Elementary School in Ogden was experiencing difficulties with its cooling system – three aging rooftop air conditioning units were no longer perform- ing adequately. Rooftop units are among the most common in commercial air conditioning and are used widely in industrial facilities as well. “We were having major problems with the old units,” said James Child, an energy manager for the school district. “Our heating, ventilation and air conditioning department had to make repairs often,” he explained. With constant maintenance no longer making financial sense, it was time to replace the units. Rather than simply choosing similar models, the district saw a perfect opportunity to lower energy consumption at the school by upgrading to high efficiency three-phase packaged rooftop units. Craig Bruderer, a Rocky Mountain Power customer and community manager, had recommended the FinAnswer Express program on earlier projects, so the district knew that by installing qualifying equipment, they could use program incentives to offset the cost of the upgrade, plus save on energy costs going forward. There are other benefits as well. “We’re saving time on maintenance and the comfort at the school has gone way up,” Child reported. Many projects, major savings With the help of FinAnswer Express, Weber School District also has made upgrades at other schools, including energy- efficient chillers with variable speed drives on compressors and energy-saving lighting. The district also used the program for high-efficiency lighting and HVAC equipment installed in two recently built schools. Weber School District has received a total of more than $197,000 in Rocky Mountain Power incentives for its energy efficiency projects. In addition, the school district is saving nearly 1.4 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and more than $120,000 in energy costs every year because of these projects. For details on Rocky Mountain Power’s energy efficiency programs and incentives, please call toll free at 1-800-222-4335 or inquire online at rockymountainpower.net/wattsmart. BY ROCKY MOUNTAIN POWER ‘WATTSMART’ New national lighting standards become effective on July 14, 2012 New federal lighting standards will limit the availability of replacement parts for T12 fluorescent lighting systems as manufacturers cease production of most lamps. Upgrading to T8 or T5 lighting systems generates significant energy and cost savings, provides better-quality light, and prepares facilities for the phase-out of most T12 lamps. Rocky Mountain Power offers incentives for retrofitting T12 light fixtures to newer, more-efficient premiumT8 or T5 fluorescent technologies. These incentives help reduce project payback. Incentives for upgrades could change, and may not be available for standard T8 lighting systems once they become standard equipment. To learn more, please visit rockymountainpower.net/lightingstandards. Schools learn efficiency is Rocky Mountain Power incentives help with energy-saving upgrades