Gadsden City Schools Turns to Schneider Electric to Modernize Facilities and Reduce Annual Energy Spend by 27 Percent
Gadsden, Ala. (PRWEB) January 03, 2018 -- Gadsden City Schools, located along the banks of the historic Coosa River in northeast Alabama, today announced it is partnering with energy and sustainability expert Schneider Electric on a comprehensive energy efficiency project that will help the district modernize its 14 campuses. The project will allow the district to drive efficiency and reduce its annual operating costs by 27 percent. These operational savings will be reinvested, helping the district to improve the learning environment for students, faculty and staff.
“We are extremely committed to modernizing our district with new technology in order to stay competitive and create a 21st century learning environment for our students,” said Dr. Ed Miller, Superintendent, Gadsden City Schools. “Schneider Electric has proven itself as a trusted resource and partner in Alabama K-12 education. Through our partnership, we will be able to address a growing number of deferred maintenance projects that we previously did not have the manpower or funds to tackle. We’re excited to reinvest the savings back into our schools and positively impact our community for generations to come.”
The $9.2 million project is being funded by an energy savings performance contract (ESPC), where utility and operational savings are used to fund the renovations. Savings will come from a wide variety of measures that improve energy efficiency and enhance the learning environment, including:
• Brightening classrooms with interior LED lighting and controls
• Improving campus safety at night with exterior LED lighting
• Enhancing the athletic experience with LED lighting in gymnasiums
• Streamlining operations with a district-wide building automation system
• Saving energy and improving comfort with extensive sealing of windows, doors, gaps and cracks across all buildings
• Enhancing communication with the installation of a district-wide VoIP telecommunications system
• Replacing windows at the historic board of education building
• Implementing water reduction technologies, including district-wide replacement of water fountains
• Improving building comfort and reducing burden on maintenance staff with HVAC replacements at multiple facilities
“Like many schools across the nation, Gadsden City Schools found itself in a deferred maintenance trap,” said Tammy Fulop, Vice President, Schneider Electric. “We’re proud to help the district invest in modernization and allow administrators to create best-in-class learning environments while becoming leaders in sustainability.”
In addition to the facilities improvements, the project will make a significant environmental impact by removing 1,500 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere, which is equivalent to removing 321 cars from the road or planting nearly 40,000 trees.
Construction is underway and is expected to be complete by fall 2018.
The project builds on Schneider Electric’s expertise in energy efficiency projects in Alabama. In addition to its work with Gadsden City Schools, Schneider Electric has implemented over $210 million in energy efficiency projects for over 40 clients and helped public entities secure over $60 million in energy-related grants and rebates.
Over the past 25 years, Schneider Electric has successfully implemented more than 675 ESPC projects across the nation, saving its clients nearly $2 billion. This project delivery method helps publicly funded entities make capital improvements over longer payback periods and offers many long-term benefits such as improved facility efficiency, occupant comfort, financial management and environmental protection.
For more information on how Schneider Electric helps K-12 schools tackle energy efficiency, please visit http://www.enable.schneider-electric.com or contact your local Schneider Electric representative.
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About Schneider Electric
Schneider Electric is leading the Digital Transformation of Energy Management and Automation in Homes, Buildings, Data Centers, Infrastructure and Industries. With global presence in over 100 countries, Schneider is the undisputable leader in Power Management – Medium Voltage, Low Voltage and Secure Power, and in Automation Systems. We provide integrated efficiency solutions, combining energy, automation and software. In our global Ecosystem, we collaborate with the largest Partner, Integrator and Developer Community on our Open Platform to deliver real-time control and operational efficiency. We believe that great people and partners make Schneider a great company and that our commitment to Innovation, Diversity and Sustainability ensures that Life Is On everywhere, for everyone and at every moment.
http://www.schneider-electric.us
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Caroline Pennartz, Text100, http://www.enable.schneider-electric.com, +1 617-399-4920, [email protected]
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