Oregon District Goes Green with Budget-Neutral Efficiency Upgrades

Oregon's Hillsboro School District has begun work on a $3.5 million energy savings performance contract (ESPC) designed to improve operational efficiency at 13 schools.

A little more than a third of the cost of the contract, $1.3 million, is being funded through Oregon Senate Bill 1149, a law that funds K-12 energy improvements through public-purchase charges to utility customers. The upgrades will be installed by Ameresco, which also identified areas in need of improvement and measures that qualified for reimbursement under the law.

Slated for completion by the end of this year, improvements will include lighting retrofits, CO2-based ventilation control, occupancy and daylight sensors for automatic lighting controls, upgrades to heating and air conditioning controls, building automation systems, electrical service upgrades designed to increase capacity, replacement of electric water heaters with natural gas water heaters and measures to save water across the district.

"In addition to enhancing the identified schools, the efficiency measures and upgrades also support the district's sustainability goals," according to a news release. "The environmental benefits from implementing the energy efficiency measures include an annual reduction of approximately 790 tons of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions, which is the equivalent to removing 106 cars from the road or preserving 216 acres of mature trees each year."

Schools to be upgraded include:

"Partnering with Ameresco under an ESPC has made it possible for us to implement significant energy efficiency upgrades in our schools, and to make improvements to the overall learning environment without an additional burden to our taxpayers," said Adam Stewart, Chief Financial Officer, Hillsboro School District. "The efficiency upgrades are expected to deliver an estimated $137,000 in annual cost savings, while improving the comfort of the facilities for our students and staff."

About the Author

Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  •  classroom scene with students gathered around a laptop showing a virtual tour interface

    Discovery Education Announces Spring Lineup of Free Virtual Field Trips

    This Spring, Discovery Education is collaborating with partners such as Warner Bros., DC Comics, National Science Foundation, NBA, and more to present a series of free virtual field trips for K-12 students.

  • glowing padlock shape integrated into a network of interconnected neon-blue lines and digital nodes, set against a soft, blurred geometric background

    3 in 4 Administrators Expect a Security Incident to Impact Their School This Year

    In an annual survey from education identity platform Clever, 74% of administrators admitted that they believe a security incident is likely to impact their school system in the coming year. That's up from 71% who said the same last year.

  • horizontal stack of U.S. dollar bills breaking in half

    ED Abruptly Cancels ESSER Funding Extensions

    The Department of Education has moved to close the door on COVID relief funding for schools, declaring that "extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion."

  • pattern of icons for math and reading, including a pi symbol, calculator, and open book

    HMH Launches Personalized Path Solution

    Adaptive learning company HMH has introduced HMH Personalized Path, a K-8 ELA and math product that combines intervention curriculum, adaptive practice, and assessment for students of all achievement levels.