SAVING MONEY WITH
ENERGY CONSERVATION
IN SCHOOL BUILDINGS

GOAL:

To effectively conduct an energy audit in a Technical Institute in Louisiana.

OBJECTIVE:

1. The student will recognize and record energy conserving building features and procedures.

2. The student will analyze recorded information and make recommendations to building administration.

LESSON / INTRODUCTION

Energy conservation means reducing waste today so we can afford to remain open tomorrow. Profit-minded governmental building administrators everywhere are looking for ways to cut their utility bills. It's just good business.

One school building in this area where an audit program was implemented attained a 30% reduction in their utility bills with little investment of capital. The lighting levels were reduced. The thermostat settings were adjusted to 78° F in Summer and 68° F in Winter. Custodial hours were reduced and other recommendations summarized by the auditor were implemented by the building administrator.

Would you like to help your school save on annual utility bills?

$AVINGS$$$$

Saving money is a matter of correcting many small problems. It requires a greater awareness and responsibility by everyone.

A good way to start the energy conservation effort in your building is by assembling utility bills for the last 12 months. If your school has not already summarized your energy consumption needs, you may wish to use Forms 1 & 2 that are at the end of this lesson for this purpose. Record both price and actual consumption. You can tell a lot about your building(s) by examining the monthly records.

Select a year that you consider energy usage to have been reasonable and normal. For purposes of this audit, the year selected will be known as your "base year."

Using utility bills from your base year and from the most recent months of the current year, complete the following forms. If your bills use units other than those specified on the forms, use the conversion factors listed below to obtain the desired units.

Converting Your Energy Usage from $'s to Btu's

The British Thermal Unit or Btu is a common unit for the measurement of all forms of energy. With the increase in unit cost for utilities, it will be difficult to measure energy usage and savings on the basis of dollar amount of utility bills. Conversion to Btu's eliminates the differences in units used to measure various types of fuel, as well as variations in price for fuels in different regions and future price increases. A Btu is a very small unit of energy. Converting dollar energy usage to Btu's is a simple process, and will allow additional analysis of the figures in the Energy Management Form.

BTU CONVERSIONS
Source	Measure	Energy
electricity	kwh	3413 Btu's
natural gas	cubic foot	1030 Btu's

After completing the audit that follows and implementing the recommendations of the class, record several more months of utility bill information.

One year after the recommendations have been implemented, a formal energy consumption comparison of the base year and the current year should be completed and a report of the findings given to the school administrator. You should see a reduction in total Btu's consumed.

The percentage reduction in Btu's is a good estimate of the percentage reduction in utility costs. Although rising utility rates and complex billing formulas may cause costs to increase, the total will be less than had you not reduced your Btu consumption. Use the table above to convert utility bill information into BTUs. The cost of electricity or natural gas may be obtained by contacting your local companies.

AUDIT PROCEDURE

Working in groups of three, students should conduct the following simple energy audit. The class will compare notes after the audit is completed. A summary of the audit report will be submitted to the school administrator by the teacher and the students, with the classes' recommendations.

CONDUCTING AN ENERGY AUDIT
IN A
COMMERCIAL BUILDING

1. Is the building heated with gas?
( __ ) yes ( __ ) no
Recommendation:________________________________

2. Examine the duct system carefully. Do you notice any air leaks in the heating and cooling duct and plenum system?
( __ ) yes ( __ ) no
Recommendation:________________________________

3. Does the school/building have a regular cleaning, oiling and maintenance program for the AC and heating unit?
( __ ) yes ( __ ) no
Recommendation:________________________________

4. Are exterior doors protected from rain and wind infiltration?
( __ ) yes ( __ ) no
Recommendation:________________________________

5. Are windows properly protected from direct sunlight in the summer? Windows on the west and east side should be shaded or protected by solar screen.
( __ ) yes ( __ ) no
Recommendation:________________________________

6. Are windows and doors properly caulked from the exterior? Caulking is a simple task that may be applied by the class.
( __ ) yes ( __ ) no
Recommendation:________________________________

7. Does the landscaping promote energy efficiency? (Green grass and trees close to the building.)
( __ ) yes ( __ ) no
Recommendation:________________________________

8. Are fluorescent lights used throughout the building? Does the lighting system meet the recommendations of energy efficient lighting standards? (Use light meter.)
( __ ) yes ( __ ) no
Recommendation:_________________________________
( __ ) yes ( __ ) no
Recommendation:________________________________

9. Do all teachers turn lights out when they leave the classroom when no students are in the classroom?
( __ ) yes ( __ ) no
Recommendation:________________________________

10. Does the school have an Energy Conservation Committee and are all personnel aware of energy conservation measures pertinent to the building?
( __ ) yes ( __ ) no
Recommendation:_________________________________
( __ ) yes ( __ ) no
Recommendation:________________________________

11. Are all areas where heating and cooling are not needed (like storage, corridors and entry ways) shut off or set back?
( __ ) yes ( __ ) no
Recommendation:________________________________

12. Is the cleaning crew instructed to turn off all but necessary lights while they work?
( __ ) yes ( __ ) no
Recommendation:________________________________
(Light only that part of the building that they are actively cleaning. The savings will amaze you.)

13. Does the building have a "Night Close-Up Checklist"?
( __ ) yes ( __ ) no
Recommendation:________________________________
(Ensure the list covers turning off all unnecessary equipment, adjusting thermostats, closing air circuits, closing doors and windows and reducing the lighting level to acceptable security levels.)

14. Is monthly energy consumption and cost data available so that data can be evaluated and compared against similar months in previous years and against any energy budget? Use kWh or ccf.
( __ ) yes ( __ ) no
Recommendation:________________________________

15. Is the building staff involved with energy conservation measures so that each individual has a sense of responsibility?
( __ ) yes ( __ ) no
Recommendation:________________________________

16. Are the air filters changed or cleaned regularly?
( __ ) yes ( __ ) no
Recommendation:________________________________

17. Is routine cleaning of lamps, tubes and fixtures part of the energy management program?
( __ ) yes ( __ ) no
Recommendation:________________________________

18. Are the hot water tanks set at 120°F?
( __ ) yes ( __ ) no
Recommendation:________________________________

19. Are pilot lights scheduled to be turned off during the off season?
( __ ) yes ( __ ) no
Recommendation:________________________________

RECOMMENDED READING:

Building Energy Efficient Homes in Louisiana. Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Baton Rouge, LA, n.d.

Energy Conservation Publication for School Buildings. Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Baton Rouge, LA, 1983.

Responses to Audit Questions

1. "Yes" answer is preferred due to the relative low cost of natural gas.

2. "No" is the preferred answer. Leaks in the duct system are very common and may account for up to 25% of the cost of heating and cooling.

3. "Yes" is the preferred answer. A regular maintenance program not only increases the efficiency of the heating and cooling system, but ensures a much longer life for the system.

4. "Yes" is preferred. Protection from rain and sun is almost a must in public buildings. The infiltration of the rays of the sun is a major problem in summer cooling. Air infiltration around doors is a major problem in cooling and heating a building. All doors and windows should be weatherstripped.

5. The preferred answer is "yes". Protection from the sun's rays is really important in school buildings due to the large number of windows. Shading with trees is preferable. If shade screens are used, remove them in the winter for solar heating and daylight.

6. Caulking of doors and windows is extremely inexpensive. All windows and doors need to be caulked. The answer is "yes".

7. Green trees and grass absorb much of the sun's heat around a building. They also make a building more attractive and cost very little. The preferred answer is "yes".

8. Fluorescent lights use much less electricity then incandescent lights. They also last a great deal longer. The answer should be "yes".

9. The preferred answer is "yes". No unoccupied room should remain lighted.

10. This question is probably the most important one in the questionnaire. If a faculty decides to lower the energy bills, there is no doubt that the bills will come down. The answer is "yes".

11. The preferred answer is "yes". Although building planners sometimes heat and cool these areas, there is seldom a need for this.

12. Although this seems insignificant, it is very important. A great deal of energy can be saved by not lighting up the entire building during clean-up. The answer is "yes".

13. A night close-up checklist usually ensures that all energy conservation measures are complied with. The answer is "yes".

14. This is very important. It is easier to conserve energy when one knows how much is used. Comparing costs and discussing energy conservation makes us all save energy. The answer should be "yes".

15. Acceptance of responsibility for energy conservation by all staff members is very desirable and comes about with much discussion and planning of an energy plan. This answer is "yes".

16. The air filters should be changed according to schedule provided by the manufacturer of the equipment. It is very important. The answer is "yes".

17. The cleaning of lamps and reflectors on the lamps is very important and should be done regularly. The answer is "yes".

18. All hot water tanks should be set at 120°F; the usual setting is 140°F or above. The answer is "yes".

19. Although it does not seem significant, pilot lights should be turned off when the equipment is not expected to be in use for over one week. Significant savings will be achieved by this policy. The answer is "yes".

ELECTRICITY
	COST		ENERGY USE (KwH)
	Last Year	This Year	Last Year	This Year	% Change
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
TOTAL

GAS
	COST		ENERGY USE (KwH)
	Last Year	This Year	Last Year	This Year	% Change
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
TOTAL

* Gas unit may be a "therm" or "ccf" (hundred cubic feet) or "mcf" (thousand cubic feet).

Comments or questions to: TechAsmt@LA.GOV

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