Jon Burns, director of operations for the Bethel-Tate Local School District, stands in the gymnasium at Bethel-Tate High School. All the lights in the gymnasium have been replaced with light emitting diodes as part of the school district’s energy conservation program.
By Megan Alley
Sun staff

In one year, the Bethel-Tate Local School District saved more than $166,000 on energy costs.

The savings are credited to an energy conservation program that the school district implemented in July 2015.

Back in 2013, the school district, which was facing high energy costs and the need to replace aging equipment, started a partnership with a facilities services company called Four Seasons Environmental Inc., which is headquartered in Monroe, Ohio.

FSE suggested that the school district utilize Ohio House Bill 264 loans to upgrade and enhance its energy systems.

HB 264, also referred to as the School Energy Program, was established in 1985. The program helps school districts make energy efficiency upgrades to their buildings by loaning money that can be paid off through the cost savings; the school district doesn’t have to ask the public to front the bill for improvements.

To qualify, the school district contracted with FSE to analyze its existing utility bills, conduct an energy audit, propose energy conservation measures and pricing and complete the upgrades.

The district must report to the state and remain compliant for the next three years.

The school district’s energy conservation program is focused on ventilation and air conditioning logic and automation, lighting improvements, heating and the replacement of the air conditioner at William Bick Primary School.

All classroom lights were upgraded to more efficient fluorescent bulbs and ballasts lighting systems, occupancy sensors were installed to control lighting when the classrooms and halls were unoccupied and light emitting diode lighting fixtures were installed in all the exterior lighting systems.

The LED lights provide a better quality light, according to Jon Burns, director of operations for the school district.

“We’re very conservative on our energy now,” Superintendent Melissa Kircher explained. “The lights go off and come on automatically; there’s no waste there.”

Lighting occupancy sensors were interfaced with the digital divert control system to manage heating and cooling modes when classrooms are unoccupied, the hot water systems were upgraded with three-way valves in the boiler rooms to allow the hot water boilers to operate as efficiently as possible, the main office of the high school had a small air conditioning system installed so it can operate independently from the building when the high school is shut down for the summer, and the school gyms are now controlled with technology that will adjust the speed of the HVAC equipment to match the heating and cooling requirements of the gym.

The upgrades were completed and energy verification began in July 2015, and the results show a greater savings than was originally projected, according to a press release.

Based on current trends, the predicted project payback cycle is cut in half; the anticipated payback time was 14.84 years, and it’s now expected to take just over 7.85 years, according to a press release.

“We’re thrilled,” Kircher said. “I mean, who wouldn’t be thrilled about $166,000 in savings?”