Savings CalculatorPine Plains Central School District
Pine Plains, NY
Project Overview
Energia and the Pine Plains CSD first embarked on exploring an Energy Performance Contract in 2013. The first step to all of Energia’s projects is to conduct a Preliminary Energy Assessment (PEA). This step allows Energia to estimate the potential savings and scope of work for our new clients. In 2013, Pine Plains had recently implemented a fluorescent lighting upgrade and Energia’s team determined there were not adequate savings to justify the pursuit of an EPC.
In 2016, Energia re-engaged with the Pine Plains CSD because of the advance of new lighting technology and improved solar photovoltaic (PV) economics. The costs of panels decreased, the efficiency increased, and there were lucrative rebate programs. As a result, the Energia team identified an opportunity for Pine Plains CSD to install a large solar PV array at the Stissing Mountain High School/Middle School along with LED lighting improvements, elimination of pneumatic temperature controls, and upgrades to the heating systems.
Highlights
The savings far exceed the costs of the project and will generate excess positive cash flow throughout the 18-year project term.
The Pine Plains CSD is one of the first school districts in New York to install and own a fully operations ground-mounted Solar PV array. As a result of the District’s state aid ratio and the attractive return on investment of this installation, the savings far exceed the costs of the project and will generate excess positive cash flow throughout the 18-year project term.
Additionally, this project and Energia’s relationship with the District serves as an ideal case study to show the benefits of engaging with Energia to conduct a Preliminary Energy Assessment. There is no cost and no risk for districts to take this step and it allows Energia’s engineers to determine if there is an opportunity for sufficient energy savings to pursue a project. Regardless of the outcome, Energia will continuously review and reconsider the opportunity for our clients as technologies advance and new opportunities are created.
Five Examples of Energy Conservation Measures:- LED Lighting
- Ground-Mounted Solar Array
- Building Automation System Improvements
- Fuel Oil - Propane Conversions
- Plug Load Controllers
In my career as a school superintendent this is my third energy performance contract project. I can say without reservation that Energia's involvement in the current project has made it the smoothest process that I have experienced. I can recommend Energia to any school district considering an energy performance contract project. The involvement of this firm in the earliest stages of the energy performance contract process is critical to the ultimate success of the project.
Dr. Martin D. HandlerSuperintendent, Pine Plains Central School District