Sweeping energy-savings upgrades performed in the Oconto Falls School District in 2012 and 2013 fell just short of their promised return.
The $2.7 million project, coordinated by Ameresco, a provider of energy efficiency solutions, was designed to guarantee energy savings of just over $137,000 per year over the next two decades.
The project included upgrades and improvements in heating systems, lighting improvements, air infiltration reduction, roofing and plumbing in buildings throughout the district.
“We were guaranteed to have a certain amount of savings, but that didn’t quite happen,” said Superintendent Dave Polashek, referring to the savings for Dec. 1, 2013, through Nov. 30, 2014.
Polashek told the School Board on Monday the district expected a savings of at least $137,400 in energy costs and operational costs under the guarantee. That breaks down to $113,317 in energy cost savings and $24,083 in operational savings.
The district achieved the operational cost savings, he said, but only achieved a 96 percent savings in energy costs. That amounts to $107,958, or a shortfall of $5,359.
Polashek said variables that contributed to the shortfall included a colder than usual winter and the incorrect installation of water equipment at Washington Middle School.
“There was more water use than what we thought there would be,” he said.
The district discussed two options for recouping the loss. The first was to take the amount of the loss and invest it in equipment that might result in future savings, such as faucet changes at Washington Middle School and changing the water heaters in Abrams from electric to gas, at no cost to the district.
Another option would be to receive the shortfall money in a check.
“It makes sense to put in other equipment to increase savings,” Polashek said.
The School Board agreed to pursue the equipment option.
Kent Wolf, Ameresco business development manager, did not attend the meeting.
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