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How 3 NJ Schools Used Energy Upgrades to Overcome Budget Constraints

Many school districts are challenged with the need to modernize aging facilities to meet the needs of today’s student populations, but struggle with significant budget constraints that limit their ability to invest in their learning environments. New Jersey’s ESIP initiative gives school districts a much-needed chance to embark on critical infrastructure improvement projects that will create optimal learning environments for students today and provide a source of revenue to invest in future programs that enhance student learning.

Here's a look at three New Jersey school districts that have already partnered with Schneider Electric to achieve their goals through innovative ESIPs. The Delran Township School District, Pennsauken Public Schools and West Deptford School District ESIPs are driving more than $1 million in annual energy savings, encompassing a wide variety of energy upgrades across 21 facilities.

Delran Township School District

The Delran Township School District faced significant classroom comfort issues caused by outdated control systems and poor insulation. To address these issues, the district implemented more than a dozen energy conservation measures including new air conditioning units, improved lighting and rooftop solar panels that produce 75 percent of the district’s electricity. In addition, students have access to hands-on learning about energy efficiency through kiosks and dashboards that display energy usage information. The project reduced the district’s annual utility bill by 32 percent, which equals nearly $285,000. The district also secured $325,000 in rebates and incentives from the NJ Clean Energy Program and the PJM Energy Efficiency Credit. 

“We are thrilled to be able to implement $4.5 million in needed capital improvements at no cost to taxpayers in our community,” said Dr. Christopher Russo, Business Administrator, Delran Township School District. “In addition to dramatically improving classroom comfort for our students and staff, our partnership with Schneider Electric will help us achieve the prestigious Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification, which will allow us to further reduce energy waste and free up budget dollars to invest back into our classrooms.”

Pennsauken Public Schools

The Pennsauken Public Schools project encompassed the district’s 12 buildings and included more than $17 million in capital improvements such as LED lighting, building automation and building envelop upgrades. In addition, the district installed new roofs on seven buildings and now produces renewable energy through a solar power purchase agreement (PPA) that powers nine buildings.

In total, the project saved the Pennsauken Public Schools more than $500,000 in annual energy costs.

“Our ESIP initiative will allow us to reallocate existing district resources to achieve goals and priorities we never thought were possible,” said Nicholas Perry, Board of Education President, Pennsauken Public Schools. “Not only did this innovative funding and construction approach help us fast track modernization work that would have taken years to complete, but it also allowed us to expand our scope to include more than just normal deferred maintenance. That’s a win for the entire community.”

West Deptford School District

The West Deptford School District project will encompass more than $10.5 million in capital improvements such as LED lighting and building envelop upgrades across the district’s five schools, as well as new IT server and phone system power backup capabilities.

The district will also produce renewable energy through a solar PPA and install new roofs on three buildings. This project will produce more than $250,000 in annual energy savings.

“Partnering with Schneider Electric will allow us to address our most pressing energy efficiency challenges from every angle,” said William Thompson, Assistant Superintendent for Finance, West Deptford School District. “We are now better able to control our energy purchases, evaluate energy usage, validate utility bills and use our energy savings to reinvest back into our school facilities – all with no upfront investment.”

For more on Schneider Electric's approach to K-12 energy projects, visit our K-12 Education Hub.