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ENERGY USE AT RAYMOND CENTRAL SCHOOL

Attached is an energy audit by Norris Public Power and Nebraska Public Power completed in 2000. Some of the lighting has been updated since the audit was done. Parts of the HVAC system in the Main Building and some of the Barracks used for the junior high wing was replaced in 2004. No work was done with the admin building or the wrestling building. It might be difficult to get through all the numbers. Here are the highlights. 1999 energy use 76,116 btu/sqft, Total cost $52,189 cost/sqft $0.67 2007 energy use 90,776 btu/sqft Total cost $115,501 cost/sqft $1.48 2008 energy use 112,520 btu/sqft Total cost $175,413 cost/sqft $2.24 average energy use for schools with geo-thermal = 45,490 btu/sqft average energy use for schools with fossil fuel heat and air-cond = 69,380 btu/sqft Valparaiso Average energy consumption for the years 2002 through 2007: 39,713 btu/sqft as you can see the energy consumption has increased at the high school since 1999. An AC system was installed in portions of the main building in 2004 so that accounts for some of the increase. There is over 22,000 btu/sqft increase between 2007 and 2008. This increase in consumption is very disturbing to me. The energy use was already over 20,000 btu/sqft more than the average of other schools with the same type equipment, add the 22,000 and the excess is more than the total consumption of the Valparaiso School! The 2008 energy use at the high school is almost 3x the energy use at Val. This is a huge additional cost to taxpayers. This money just goes up in smoke. Just think how much more of the taxpayers dollar could go to education of our students if we reduce the energy waste!!. A big part of the inefficiency is the boilers in the barracks buildings. those boilers operate at .6 efficiency which equates to sending $0.40 of every energy dollar out the chimney. A portion of the remaining $0.60 goes out the window that is open to regulate the temp in the classrooms in the Barracks.

There is also an updated energy use and benchmarking compiled by the same power companies in late 2008. The amount of energy use compared to similar schools is disturbing. Energy use continues to increase even without adding any new space. Since the primary source for heat is burning fuel oil air pollution also increases.

As reported in the Lincoln Journal-star the temperature in some classrooms in the Barracks buildings is regulated by opening the windows in the wintertime!!!