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Douglas County School District - Gardnerville Elementary School Modernization

  • November 4, 2011 
  • April 2, 2012 
  • October 2012 
  • October 2012 

Gardnerville Elementary School Modernization

Showcase Project: Douglas County School District

Location

Gardnerville, NV

Project Size

60,000 Square Feet

Financial Overview

Project Cost $6.9 Million

Annual Energy Use (Source EUI)

Baseline
(2011)
100 kBtu/sq. ft.
Expected
(2013)
80 kBtu/sq. ft.
Actual
COMING SOON

Expected
Energy Savings:

20%

Annual Energy Cost

Baseline
(2011)
$63,000
Expected
(2013)
$50,000
Actual
COMING IN 2013

Expected
Savings:

$13,000



Background

Utilizing the State of Nevada’s Construction Manager At Risk (CMAR) bidding vehicle, Douglas County School District identified Gardnerville Elementary School as its showcase facility for meeting the new District-wide energy efficiency standards. The project’s benchmark is to achieve an annual cost savings of 15-25% in addition to creating a more suitable learning environment for the District’s K-6 students.

Background

The CMAR approach has enabled the District to form a team comprised of the facility owner, architect and contractor in order to design a modernization master plan for the site, while providing a constructible design within the allotted budget. Construction began in October 2011 and was completed a year later. Gardnerville Elementary School, previously a three building campus, is now contained within one core building, measuring 60,000 square feet. The project included an addition to the main academic building while also renovating and upgrading the existing facility to create additional classroom space and to maximize efficiency opportunities. During the course of the project, the District also removed a modular building previously used for Special Education, and separated the Heritage Building (a historical building constructed in 1928) from the campus core – turning what used to be a three building campus into a single improved facility. The building will use the EPA ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool to measure and track the energy performance and cost savings achieved.

Solutions

The District conducted an energy assessment of the facility in 2007 and implemented a number of energy efficiency projects beginning in 2009 using an Energy Services Performance Contact (ESPC) that included lighting retrofits, daylight harvesting controls, light control sensors, re-commissioning of the EMS system, computer management software, and a trash compaction system. However, additional improvements to the buildings such as upgrades to windows, insulation, lighting and mechanical equipment, were still necessary.

Solutions

The CMAR construction project, completed in October 2012, incorporated the following energy efficiency measures at Gardnerville Elementary School:

  • Replaced single pane non-thermally broken windows and frames with 1” Low-E coated insulating glass in thermally-broken frames
  • Installed rigid insulation at the exterior concrete-masonry unit walls in the two oldest portions of the building
  • Replaced undersized furnaces and condensing units in the oldest classrooms with correctly sized and efficient units
  • Replaced insufficient roof insulation on the oldest building with new rigid insulation (R38)
  • Installation of automatic lighting controls (combination of motion sensors and lighting control panel) and energy efficient 28-watt T-8 lamps located throughout the facility.

Other Benefits

The District’s renovation of Gardnerville Elementary School presented several opportunities to improve campus safety such as the creation of a front entrance with a direct line of site from the main office for maximum security. Additionally, two age appropriate playground areas were established for the Kindergarten and 1st-6th grades, enabling improved supervision. Separations between bus loading zones and parent pickup/drop off locations were also created to alleviate confusion and congestion before and after school hours.

Other Benefits

As a result of this expansion effort, the District removed the modular unit housing Special Education, incorporating the program’s needs within the core facility. Additionally, the District is now able to pursue the opportunity to sell or lease the Heritage building, along with its land parcel, in the future to potentially create additional revenue for the District.

Proposed Aerial View