“Little Things” Save Big Money for County Schools

by Kevin Cummings, Messenger Staff Writer

On some nights Brian Norwood roams the halls of darkened schools searching for wasted energy.

His efforts and that of personnel throughout Franklin County schools have saved more than $1 million in utility costs since the inception of a systemwide conservation program.

Franklin County schools hired national energy conservation firm Cenergistic about three years ago and tabbed Norwood, a former Franklin County High School teacher, as the system’s new energy education specialist.

“When the audits first started, they were kind of atrocious,” Norwood said.

He tracks utility usage and performs school audits, day and night, to look for ways to save, including making sure thermostats are properly set, nonessential lights and other electricity sources are turned off, and windows and doors are weatherized.

“The success of this program rides on the shoulders of the people who are in these buildings: the teachers, custodians and building administrators,” he said. “I can walk through this building and do audits all day long, but the savings come from the folks in the buildings who are taking care of business day after day.”

On Oct. 29, Norwood audited Sewanee Elementary school. He first used a psychrometer to measure temperature, humidity and dew point. A temperature gun helps him read the temperatures through cracks in the doors of locked classrooms. If it is plus or minus two or three degrees of the target, he’ll go in and see if the thermostat is correct or if the room is holding the temperature.

“During break times we shut buildings down to the bare bones, almost nothing,” Norwood noted.

Compared to where they were before the energy program, some county schools have reduced utility costs by 40 percent, and the system is now spending about 19.5 percent less on utilities.

“Working with Cenergistic has helped us all be more conscious about our energy usage,” said Rebecca Sharber, director of schools. The savings have “helped keep us from cutting our budget even more than we have. It has also helped improve the environmental footprint,” she said.Norwood noted that the school system has reduced CO₂ emissions by 4,237 metric tons, the equivalent of taking 883 cars off the road. They have also reduced BTU use by 37,000.

As the SES audit continued, he found weather stripping on a door near the SES playground that needed repair. He checked water fountains to make sure coolers weren’t running and offered greetings to the workers in the cafeteria as he bragged about their efforts. He turned off computer monitors, looked for water leaks, checked window temps and applauded one teacher for using ambient lighting in her classroom.

He said Sewanee Elementary has a tradition of conserving energy and is now spending two percent less on utilities since three years ago. 

“They were doing everything right to begin with,” he said.

SES principal Mike Maxon, who taught math to Norwood in middle school, said he encourages teachers to be conscientious of their energy use and reminds them that we are all taxpayers.

During the week of Oct. 27, Norwood’s onsite audits also included South Middle School. South is challenged by having much of the original equipment from 1968, when the school was built, but is now spending 15 percent less than three years ago.

“It’s like the saying, ‘I’m analog living in a digital world.’ South is kind of like that,” Norwood said.

At South, because the main lights are on one switch, all nonessential lights can’t be cut off at night because the school’s security cameras won’t work in the dark. And the air handlers, because of their age, also can’t be shut down completely.

There have been many behavioral and procedural changes throughout the system since the program’s inception, such as keeping buildings at 58 degrees at night and encouraging teachers not to plug in personal appliances at school.

A $1.2 million grant from Excel Energy Group in 2010 also made it possible to upgrade school lighting, said Cindy Latham, Franklin County deputy finance director.

The savings in utility costs does more than offset both Norwood’s salary and the annual payment to Cenergistic, but the real savings will come at the end of the contract with Cenergistic. The payments end after no more than five years, and Cenergistic will still be available to help in a reduced consultation role.

Latham said the school system pays $201,000 annually to Cenergistic for its services.

The school system has also partnered with TVA and Winchester Utilities on a program to install smart electricity meters at Franklin County High School, which accounts for one-third of the school system’s utility costs, Norwood said. FCHS is the second largest high school in the state at more than 300,000 square feet. The meters allow Norwood to closely monitor energy usage—even using his cell phone—and helps avoid additional demand charges from TVA if the electricity load reaches a certain level at one time.

Cenergistic will present Franklin County School System with its Energy Excellence Award at the Nov. 3 school board work session.