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Education: Marshall County School District

Published Date
Author Aaron Parker

Schneider Electric recently announced the start of an energy savings performance contract (ESPC) project with the Marshall County School District in Guntersville, Ala. The comprehensive energy efficiency project has sparked an Energy Revitalization Initiative within the district.

The project will reduce the Marshall County School District’s utility budget by 27 percent, saving over $569,000 in annual energy expenses or over $15 million throughout the life of the project.

The Marshall County School District faced aging infrastructure challenges including dilapidated roofs at seven of the district’s schools, outdated HVAC equipment, poor interior and exterior lighting, and lack of visibility and centralized control of systems, which caused uncomfortable classrooms, unsafe campus environments, and strain on the district’s maintenance staff. Working with Schneider Electric, the district leveraged the ESPC funding model to improve energy efficiency in sixteen buildings across the district – to enable a safer and more comfortable learning environment.

Upon completion of the project:

  • Nine roofs will be replaced at seven schools
  • Air conditioning units will be added to three high school gymnasiums
  • Marshall Tech School and Douglas High will receive new HVAC equipment
  • Interior and exterior lighting updated for increased safety
  • Plumbing fixtures updated
  • Cloud-based VoIP telephone system with integrated intercom will be added
  • Centralized building automation systems deployed to increase visibility into energy management
  • Windows, doors, gaps and cracks will be sealed across all buildings to improve comfort and efficiency

“As superintendent, it is my duty to see that students are safe, receive an appropriate education, and that funds are spent wisely. The energy savings project contributes to all three of these areas. The money saved will be redirected from utility costs to improvements at each of our schools. Marshall County School District is in desperate need of new roofing and air conditioning in high school gymnasiums. We want the best, most cost-effective solution as quickly as possible. After extensive research, we are excited to leverage Schneider Electric’s expertise to get this done right, and their savings guarantee to help pay for this project,” said Dr. Cindy Wigley, Superintendent, Marshall County School District.

The ESPC project will generate significant energy savings for the Marshall County School District. In addition, the project will have substantial environmental impacts of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2,868 tons, which is equivalent to removing 12,080 cars from the road or powering 5,240 homes.

“We are excited to kick-off construction at Marshall County School District and enable their vision for a comfortable and safe learning environment,” said Tammy Fulop, Vice President, Schneider Electric. “It is great to be able to help schools address critical deferred maintenance needs and implement state-of-the art infrastructure upgrades without compromising their financial well-being.”

In the past 23 years, Schneider Electric has successfully implemented more than 550 ESPC projects across the nation and helped clients around the world save more than $1 billion. This project delivery method helps publicly funded entities make capital improvements over longer payback periods and offers many long-term benefits such as improved facility efficiency, occupant comfort, financial management and environmental protection.

For more information, visit www.enable.schneider-electric.com and follow @SchneiderESS on Twitter.

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