Oregon Department of Energy - Conservation Division Energy Services for Schools

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Oregon Department of Energy - Conservation Division

Department
- Energy, Department of
- Divisions

Energy Services for Schools

Schools pay more for their energy use than they do for textbooks and computers combined, according to the Alliance to Save Energy. And, too often, Oregon school administrators spend more money than they need to on energy bills because of inefficient energy systems and under-trained staff.

The Oregon Department of Energy can help schools cut energy costs with a suite of services that range from on-site sleuthing for energy problems to review of new building designs for energy efficiency. Link to List of Services for more information.

For new construction or major renovation, your school can become a "High Performance School." For a definition, link to High Performance Schools. For slide presentations of high performance schools, link to the case studies on Central School District, Clackamas High School and The Dalles Middle School (pdf format).

If you require more specific information on control specification for new construction or major renovation, link to Control Specification.

Resource Conservation Management (RCM) is a management tool that gives you more control over the operating costs of your facilities. It helps you to reduce operating costs, increase efficiency, prepare for deregulated energy purchases and promote environmentally friendly operations. For additional information, link to Resource Conservation Management.

Senate Bill 1149 provides for the distribution of public purpose funds to the public schools for energy efficiency measures. For additional information, see our Web pages about the Public Purpose Funds for SB 1149 Schools.
The Oregon Department of Energy received $1 million for funding energy efficiency measures in Oregon K-12 public schools served by municipal utilities, people utility districts (PUDs) and electric cooperatives that are not eligible for the SB1149 Schools Public Purpose Funds Program. For more information, see our Web page about the Williams Settlement.

In addition, the 2007 Oregon Legislature passed HB2620 which requires that public entities spend 1.5% of the total contract price
of a public improvement contract for new construction or major renovation of a public building on solar energy technology. For more information about this requirement and the rules, see our Web page.

For information for obtaining funding for energy efficiency capital projects using performance contracts, link to Energy Savings Performance Contracting.

The bottom line: Schools that investigate how they use energy spend less while making their buildings more comfortable for students, faculty and staff.

Important information:
Senate Bill 479 requires schools to replace metal halide and mercury vapor lighting.

1.5% Solar for Public Buildings

School Lighting Retrofits and Mercury / PCBs

List of Services for Schools

High Performance Schools

Resource Conservation Management

Public Purpose Funds for Schools (SB 1149)

Request for Proposal -
Energy auditors for schools (pdf)

U.S. Dept. of Energy funding for schools (pdf)

Educational Energy Links for teachers