DALLAS - The Lucerne Valley Unified School District (USD) in Lucerne Valley, Calif., is completing $374,772 in facility enhancements to improve operations, comfort, and efficiency in three district buildings totaling more than 70,000 square feet.

The Energy Solutions Division of TAC, a provider of energy services, building automation, and security systems, completed the work as a performance contract, TAC’s first in California. The company guarantees that Lucerne Valley USD will experience a reduction in utility costs of at least $38,000 annually as a result of the project.

The Lucerne Valley USD is located in the high desert of Southern California, 125 miles west of Los Angeles. The district, which has six schools and serves more than 1,000 students, faced extremely high energy costs, needed to update lighting, and wanted tools to enable their limited maintenance staff to work more effectively. TAC said it offered a solution that enabled the district to meet all of its objectives.

“Not only was the lighting in some of our schools inefficient and inadequate, the old magnetic ballasts will be illegal in 2010,” said Gary Milligan, director of maintenance and operations for the USD. “We believe our self-funded district upgrade has the potential to reduce district energy expenditures by 28 percent. We are also pleased to have received a $35,000 rebate check from the local utility company, Southern California Edison.”

WHAT IS PERFORMANCE CONTRACTING?

Performance contracting is a turnkey method whereby the design, construction, commissioning, and performance measurements are incorporated into one guaranteed fixed price. Improved facility efficiency, comfort, financial management and environmental protection are among the long-term results.

TAC guarantees the amount of savings performance contracting projects will achieve, and agrees to pay the difference if that amount is not realized. Newer, more-efficient equipment and upgraded facility automation systems typically generate the utility savings, as well as maximize energy efficiency and improve occupant comfort.

Performance contracting projects are funded in a variety of ways, including general obligation bond funds, maintenance reserve funds, and financing secured against guaranteed energy savings.

The first step in TAC’s solution for Lucerne Valley’s facility problems was a complete lighting retrofit, replacing T12 lamps and magnetic ballasts with T8 lamps and electronic ballasts at the high school, middle school, and alternative high school.

To improve operations and maintenance, the company installed an energy management system (EMS) at both the high school and middle school. This allows maintenance staff to accurately control and monitor mechanical systems from a central workstation.

“The result of the performance contract is an improved learning environment for students, a reduction in utility costs for the district, and more efficient use of limited maintenance personnel,” said Wes McDaniel, vice president of TAC Energy Solutions. “Because the Lucerne Valley USD used the money it was already spending on energy to cover the cost of all of these improvements, the district did not have to raise taxes or incur large debt.

“To provide enduring performance,” he continued, “TAC uncovers the causes of facility energy issues and focuses on diagnosis and education to ensure that each project minimizes the customer’s risk while delivering relevant business value.”  

ABOUT THE DISTRICT

The Lucerne Valley USD is a K-12 school district located in the high desert of San Bernardino County. The schools include Lucerne Valley Elementary School, Lucerne Valley Junior/Senior High School, Alternative Education Center, Mt. View High School (9-12), Community Day School, Adult Education facility, and two preschools.

The district would like to be known for its innovative planning and implementation of effective programs that increase time for learning; before- and after-school programs to increase educational activities for all students; and the use of technologies to extend access of information and instruction to students from the global community.

The school year is “continuous and flexible to accommodate the increasing demand for students to acquire new and changing skills to remain competitive in an ever-changing global economy.”

Publication date: 08/04/2008