On Thursday, February 16, 2012, Susan Carew, E.I., LEED AP,

Director ofFacility Engineering & Energy, Duval County Public Schools, spoke to the USGBC North Florida Chapter about Sustainability Initiatives in Duval County Public Schools (DCPS).

If DCPS had decided to do nothing to change the path they were on, their yearly energy costs would have been at approximately $32.7 million instead of the current $22.5 million.  Since 2005, investing in conservation has saved the taxpayers of Duval County millions of dollars.

What Gets Measured Gets Managed

Utility benchmarking at each school targets the top ten energy users for conservation efforts.  The schools are competitive with each other to be most efficient.  In 106 schools, consumption has been cut by 10%+ and districtwide over 20%.

Commissioning Schools

When Susan joined DCPS, new schools were being constructed that used double the energy than the older schools.  She was finding that first costs seemed to be most important, at the expense of long-term operating costs.  Where full commissioning was done at those schools, the investment paid off by getting schools at

or below energy use goals.

How Was it Paid For?

Although Susan's budget was cut, she was still required to meet the energy reduction goals, so she had to get creative.  They applied for numerous grants.

 They received an Energy Conservation Block Grant that allowed them to do lighting retrofits at 75 schools.  They also used JEA rebates, received SunSmart Schools Grants and Slow Food Grants.  They are now working on a Revenue Anticipation Note that will affect 110+ schools for energy & water conservation.  

Awareness/Education

A culture change was required that brought about awareness and behavior changes.  Susan got over 100 volunteers from her first request regarding Green Champions.  Green Champions are volunteers who promote sustainability in addition to their regular duties.  

The Green Champions are tasked with eliminating waste, conserving natural resources, and incorporating environmental stewardship into curriculum -- and they are empowered to complete those tasks in whatever way they feel will benefit the school the most.  Some have gotten very creative.  None of this is done with taxpayer money, but with business contributors.  Susan cannot thank GCA enough.  They have really stepped up and been a great supporter.  She encouraged businesses to get involved.  There are several sponsorship opportunities.

This year's goal is to focus more on water - water and sewer rates keep going up.  Recycling is important too.  Southland Waste as offered to pay the schools for recyclables.

Green Tip — Make Your Laundry Green

GREEN MACHINES

If every U.S. household used the most-efficient washers, it could save the equivalent of up to 40 million barrels of oil a year!

Laundry is no one's favorite chore, but there's no reason to add injury to insult by polluting in the process. There are environmental considerations on Wash Day, including the energy used to wash, dry, and iron clothes, and the products used to make clothes come out whiter, brighter, and smelling like a sunny day in May. Here are some tips to consider:

Warm up to cooler water. Using hot water for both washing and rinsing uses three and a half times more energy than washing in warm water and rinsing in cold.

Get efficient.The newest, most-efficient washers use four times less energy than the least-efficient machines, and save up to $70 a year in energy costs.

Don't overheat. Lowering your water heater's temperature to 120 will suffice for most household needs and cut energy costs.

Get loaded. It takes less energy to do one big load than two smaller ones. But don't overload the machine or nothing will get clean.

Go with the flow. Check your dryer's outside vent. Make sure it is clean and closes properly, or it could allow cold air into your house.

Hang it up. Reduce the need for ironing by taking clothes out of the dryer slightly damp and hanging them up. That can save energy - including yours.

Source: EarthShare.org