Facilities: District Wide (8 Campus) Project / 1,425,752 Sq. Ft.
Project Type: Guaranteed Energy Savings Performance Contract
Contract Term: 10 Years
Guaranteed Annual Energy Savings: $316,094
Grants: DCEO IL Energy Now Grants $713,719 / Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds $333,042
Energy Retrofits that Pay for Themselves
Facing rising energy costs and aging systems, Algonquin District 158 sought out a fiscally responsible option for upgrading the comfort of their facilities and cutting energy use. They found that solution in CTS who enabled the District to leverage a financing mechanism called Energy Saving Performance Contracting (ESPC) to pay for the improvements through energy and operational savings. CTS engineered, designed, and implemented the following energy conservation measures on the District’s eight campuses and administration building.
- Lighting Upgrades and Occupancy Sensors
- Temperature Control Building Automation System
- Variable Frequency Drive Implementation
The project is guaranteed to save District 158 $316,094 in annual energy costs, plus another $36,373 in operating costs. These annual savings will be used to pay for the cost of the project and result in a positive cash flow for the District. Additionally, the retrofits will drastically reduce their carbon emissions.
ESPC not only made it possible for District 158 to make necessary improvements without diverting money away from the overall budget, but also allows the District to lead by example as they reduce their overall energy use. This project exemplifies the significant energy efficiency gains that can be achieved through strong, forward-thinking leadership in the community.
Grant Services
On behalf of the District, CTS submitted grant applications and will continue to perform all reporting required for the programs. The result is over $1 million in grant awards through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Federal Qualified Energy Conservation Bond program. These funds are used to help fund the project.
Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The good stewardship of the District is reflected not only in the cost savings from reduced energy usage, but also in the reduced carbon footprint left on the environment. The project's reduced annual emissions would be equivalent to:
- CO2 sequestered by 58,710 tree seedlings grown for 10 years
- CO2 sequestered by 488 acres of pine forests
- CO2 emissions from 449 passenger vehicles
- CO2 emissions from 5,325 barrels of oil consumed
- CO2 emissions from the energy use of 198 homes
- CO2 emissions from burning 12.5 railcars' worth of coal