2013-03-02

On behalf of the Port Jefferson Union Free School District, Plant Facilities Administrator Fred Koelbel is pleased to announce that Earl L. Vandermeulen High School, Port Jefferson Middle School and Edna Louise Spear Elementary School have all earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star certification. This signifies that their buildings perform in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency and meet strict energy efficiency performance levels set by the EPA.

To earn the Energy Star certification, Port Jefferson UFSD took the following actions:

Worked with LIPA to conduct a districtwide energy audit.
Partnered with the energy conservation company Cenergistic to implement a revenue-neutral Energy Conservation Program.
Established and maintained target building temperatures for both the school day and after hours.
Turned off unnecessary lights and utilized available daylight.
Utilized ARRA grants to implement $337,000 in lighting upgrades, replacement and controls, at no cost to the district.
Utilized a $400,000 ARRA grant to install two photovoltaic systems, a 48-kilowatt system on the roof of Edna Louise Spear Elementary School and a 12-kilowatt system on the roof of the maintenance building adjacent to the Scraggy Fields, at no cost to the district.
Installed high-efficiency pumps.

“These steps would not have been possible without the dedication of energy manager Peter Esposito, who spearheaded Cenergistic’s Energy Conservation Program, high school/middle school head custodian Joan Lyons and her staff, elementary head custodian Gary Kenyon and his staff, and the students and staff of the Port Jefferson UFSD,” said Koelbel.

As for the district’s collaboration with Cenergistic, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kenneth Bossert said, “Our partnership [with Cenergistic] has been tremendously beneficial. The company’s expertise, training and support have completely changed our culture from one of unintentional energy waste to intentional energy savings. As a result, we have saved money by reducing consumption and we have demonstrated good stewardship of the environment. We have a new culture that will benefit Port Jefferson UFSD for years to come.”

While the district has finished the paid contract term of its program and no longer shares savings with Cenergistic, the company’s service to Port Jefferson UFSD will continue on an as-needed basis to help ensure that the program continues to build on its 22 percent reduction in energy consumption and a cost avoidance of over $419,000 through September 2012.
Cenergestic consultants will continue to work with the system on conservation techniques and data analysis as requested, providing ongoing training and support free of charge.

“Port Jefferson UFSD has successfully implemented Cenergistic’s organizational behavior-based approach to energy conservation,” said Dr. William S. Spears, chairman and founder of Cenergistic. “The leadership, along with other administration, faculty and staff members, deserves recognition for their commitment to being good stewards of taxpayers’ dollars and the environment. By sustaining the program, Port Jefferson UFSD will continue to save money for the benefit of students and taxpayers.”

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