School reduces energy costs by 30%
Mountain Elementary School
Overview
Installation Date: December 2014-October 2015
Building Size: 13,872 ft2
Existing Equipment: Fluorescent lighting with no controls, 15-year-old furnaces and condensing units
Upgrades: Replaced T8 fluorescent with LED and added occupancy sensors and dimming, upgraded furnaces and condensing units to high-efficiency models, installed an 11.7 kW rooftop solar system
Results:
- 14,889 annual kWh savings
- $2,795 first year savings
Challenge
The existing fluorescent lighting required frequent maintenance and was not providing adequate lighting in many rooms. Broken lenses posed a safety concern as the mercury filled T8 lamps were exposed. The exterior lighting did not provide adequate light for the staff to exit safely.
With five years of Proposition 39 funding subject to a savings to investment ratio minimum, the school needed assistance in prioritizing and value engineering the lighting, HVAC and solar measures that they wanted to implement. Solar was at the top of their wish list but there was no viable space for a ground mounted system and approval on a rooftop system was complicated due to the age of the building, which was constructed before the Departments of State Architecture (DSA) was formed.
Solution
By using lighting that was factory tuned to the exact wattage needed for each room, Mynt was able to achieve both ample light levels as well as the savings needed to meet the Proposition 39 requirements.
We worked closely with the school’s architect to find original construction approval form from 1972 that was needed to gain DSA approval for the rooftop solar.
We are currently working on plans for the final phase of upgrades that include adding insulation in the attic, installing an energy management system in the main building, and secondary glazing.