School Board pursues comprehensive energy audit

Laura Young ECB Publishing, Inc. Aging air handlers, outdated lighting fixtures, missing weather stripping and inefficient usage management are among the reasons that utility bills for Jefferson County Schools (JCS) are a lot higher than they need to be. A preliminary assessment conducted by Schneider Electric across five JCS facilities resulted in a project outline that would lower the district's annual utility expenditures from $480,900 to $266,900, a 41-percent reduction in annual operational costs that amounts to a $214,000 savings. That's without solar options. If solar systems are included in the suite of solutions, savings are estimated to reach 61 percent. Schneider Electric pr