BUSINESS Success Story
Photo credit: Parallel Photography
ENERGY-SAVING SOLUTIONS
EARN TOP GRADES
PUBLIC SCHOOLS INVEST IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY FROM THE GROUND UP
“
”
Sustainability and energy
efficiency are integral to our
schools. We’re reducing our
energy bills so more money can
go back into the classrooms.
Nell Achtmeyer,
sustainability coordinator, West Linn-Wilsonville
School District
Public school districts across
Oregon are reducing operating
costs and improving the learning
environment by including energyefficiency solutions in bondfunded new construction and
major renovation projects. By
taking advantage of technical
support and cash incentives from
Energy Trust of Oregon early in
the bond process, these schools
are maximizing their efficiency and
learning that saving energy and
lowering operating costs put more
money back into the classrooms.
The West Linn-Wilsonville
and Philomath school districts
offer two real-world examples
of how this process works
and its benefits. Both districts
considered energy efficiency and
sustainability early in the bond
process. They also collaborated
with Energy Trust in the design
of their buildings to maximize
not only their energy savings, but
also their incentives. Their efforts
resulted in the following two
stories of success.
TRILLIUM CREEK PRIMARY
AT-A-GLANCE
OVERVIEW
• 82,000 square feet
• Public primary school
Photo credit: Parallel Photography
• West Linn-Wilsonville
School District
PROJECT TEAM
TRILLIUM CREEK PRIMARY SCHOOL
MAKING ENERGY SOLUTIONS PRIMARY
Primary schools in Wilsonville and West Linn were overflowing with students in 2008. So
when voters passed a $98 million capital improvement bond, the West Linn-Wilsonville
School District earmarked $27 million to construct Trillium Creek Primary School. Groundup construction offered the district an exciting opportunity to take its well-developed culture
of sustainability to the next level and design an inspiring educational building that would provide
hands-on learning opportunities that kids can't get from books.
A lesson in saving and generating energy
The architecture firm DOWA-IBI Group led a sustainable design forum for project
stakeholders, including district personnel, teachers, students, engineers and Energy Trust
representatives. This group steered the school board toward designing the building to
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design®, or LEED, Silver standards. Reducing
energy use is one of the most high-profile aspects of LEED certification, so the team
focused on the biggest potential energy savers: heating, ventilation, cooling, or HVAC,
and lighting. With support and incentives from Energy Trust, the district invested in:
• Three high-efficiency gas-fired condensing boilers
• A natural ventilation system with manual and motorized vents and light indicators
that signal to staff when conditions are ideal to open the manual vents
• Operable windows in all classrooms and office spaces
• High-efficiency lighting throughout the school with occupancy sensors and
daylight dimmers
The team also focused on renewable energy because it would offset some of the
school’s energy costs and provide learning opportunities for the students. It invested in a
24-kilowatt, or kW, solar array, estimated to produce 25,555 kilowatt hours, or kWh, of
electricity a year. They also installed a 30-foot vertical helix wind turbine, estimated to
produce 2,600 kWh annually.
Studying up on savings
The district wanted to make energy and water conservation tangible, interesting and
actionable for the students so they would learn how to be good stewards of natural
resources. To help meet this goal, the project team placed electric and water meters
around the school. Metered data are available online so teachers can incorporate building
performance into lesson plans and optimize learning opportunities. There are four meters
total: two track energy use, one measures renewable energy generation and one tracks water
use. In addition to these educational benefits, the district’s commitment to sustainable and
efficient solutions is expected to pay off to the tune of $24,341 a year in avoided energy costs.
• Architect—DOWA-IBI Group
• Mechanical Engineer—PAE
Consulting Engineers
• Landscape Architect—Walker Macy
• Commissioning Agent—Heery
International, Inc.
• Structural Engineer—Froelich
Consulting Engineers
• Technology Engineer—Interface
Engineering
• Sound System & Acoustics—
Altermatt Associates, Inc.
ENERGY-SAVING AND
GENERATING FEATURES
• Three high-efficiency gas-fired
condensing boilers
• Natural ventilation system
• Operable windows
• Energy-efficient lighting with
occupancy and daylighting controls
• 24-kW solar array
• 30-foot vertical helix wind turbine
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
• $7,571 cash incentive for energy
modeling
• $26,491 cash incentive for
equipment installations
• $35,955 cash incentive for solar
electric system
• $24,341 estimated annual energy
cost savings
ESTIMATED ENERGY
SAVINGS AND GENERATION
• 76,658 annual kWh
• 4,377 annual therms
• 2 5,555 annual kWh generated from
solar array
• 2 ,600 annual kWh generated from
wind turbine
PHILOMATH HIGH SCHOOL
EARNING AN "A" FOR ENERGY-EFFICIENT
SOLUTIONS
More than 50 years of normal wear and tear and countless
short-term fixes left Philomath High School with structural
problems and high energy costs. The school needed a major
overhaul, which would have to be bond-funded. Pre-bond
planning helped the Philomath School District assess the
building’s needs and clarify project goals. It determined roughly
one-third of the existing building could be renovated, but the
remaining two-thirds would have to be re-built. The district
ultimately sought to leverage energy-efficient solutions to lower
energy and maintenance costs and create a comfortable and
productive space for students.
Moving collaboration to the head of the class
When a $29.5 million construction bond passed in May
2010, the district was ready to take action. Faced with a tight
construction schedule to achieve occupancy by September
2012 and the need to keep the school functional throughout
construction, it decided to use a construction management/
general contractor process. This process allowed the design
team to collaborate with the contractor and construction
manager to properly sequence construction while keeping
students, staff and the completion schedule on track. It also
helped contain costs and maximize energy-saving opportunities.
Through this process, the team identified possible energy
solutions and evaluated lifecycle costs. Incentives from Energy
Trust made full energy modeling possible to ensure every
solution would increase efficiency and reduce operational costs.
With these resources, the district invested in:
• A digitally-controlled, zoned HVAC system with two
high-efficiency condensing boilers, one high-efficiency
variable speed chiller and occupancy sensors
• Increased insulation in the walls and roof
• High-performance glazing
• Energy-efficient lighting throughout the school, including
occupancy sensors and daylight dimming controls
• An efficient gas water heater
“
Incentives and technical
assistance from Energy Trust
helped us design a cost-effective
and high-quality building that’s
saving us money on our energy
bills. Without question, we would
recommend other school districts
tap into the resources
Energy Trust offers.
”
Dan Forbess, superintendent,
Philomath School District
Photo credit: Arbuckle Costic Architects, Inc.
PHILOMATH HIGH SCHOOL
AT-A-GLANCE
OVERVIEW
• 130,440 square feet
• Public high school
• Philomath School District
PROJECT TEAM
• Architect—Arbuckle Costic
Architects, Inc.
• Construction Manager/General
Contractor—Skanska USA
• Commissioning Agent—Heery
International, Inc.
• Building Envelope Consultant—
Professional Roof Consultants, Inc.
ENERGY-SAVING AND
GENERATING FEATURES
• Two high-efficiency condensing
boilers
Photo credit: Arbuckle Costic Architects, Inc.
The district also budgeted 1.5 percent of the construction costs for solar
infrastructure in the new gymnasium. Renewable energy would offset the energy
costs associated with powering the gym lights and heating the indoor pool. Any
surplus energy could be sold back to Pacific Power, positively affecting the school’s
energy budget. The gym roof is built to accommodate solar panels and the electrical
system is prepped to easily handle solar energy. Although budget constraints put
the solar project on hold, funding requests are in the works.
Earning high marks for efficiency
Thanks to the district’s investment in energy-efficient solutions, it expects to save
$15,782 every year in energy costs. “Our goal was to shave at least 10 percent
off our electric bill. We expect to hit that mark thanks to the efficient solutions
we included in the building,” said Dan Forbess, superintendent, Philomath School
District. Along with saving energy, the school provides a more comfortable and
productive environment for the students and staff.
+
To learn more about energy solutions and cash incentives for your next new
construction or major renovation project, contact Energy Trust at 1.866.368.7878
or visit www.energytrust.org.
• One high-efficiency variable speed
chiller
• Occupancy sensors to stop
conditioned air from flowing into
unoccupied spaces
• Energy-efficient lighting with
occupancy and daylighting controls
• High-performance wall and roof
insulation
• One high-efficiency gas water
heater
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
• $2,500 cash incentive for early
design assistance
• $9,775 cash incentive for technical
assistance
• $16,782 cash incentive for
equipment installations
• $15,782 estimated annual energy
cost savings
ESTIMATED ENERGY
SAVINGS
• 64,805 annual kWh
• 4,312 annual therms
Energy Trust of Oregon 421 SW Oak St., Suite 300, Portland, Oregon 97204 1.866.368.7878 503.546.6862
fax energytrust.org
Energy Trust of Oregon is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to helping utility customers benefit from saving energy and tapping renewable resources. Our services, cash incentives and energy solutions
have helped participating customers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural and Cascade Natural Gas save on energy costs. Our work helps keep energy costs as low as possible, creates jobs and builds a
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