Susquehanna Community School District Signs On for $1.3 Million Energy Upgrade

Schneider Electric will implement project as an energy efficiency performance contract, guaranteeing $37,455 in annual savings

dallas – June 9, 2009 – Susquehanna Community School District in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, is carrying out facility enhancements worth $1.3 million designed to improve operations, comfort and efficiency throughout the district’s elementary and high schools. Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, will complete the work as a performance contract, guaranteeing that utility costs will be reduced by $37,455 annually once the implementation of the improvements is complete. All HVAC and lighting upgrades will be installed this summer and the buildings will be operational by the start of school this year.

Located outside Scranton on Pennsylvania’s northern border, the school district serves 985 students at its two schools. Schneider Electric will perform the energy upgrades throughout 178,981 square feet of space. The project is anticipated to show reductions in kilowatt hours by 22 percent, fuel oil by 11 percent, and energy expenditures by 14 percent on an annual basis. Schneider Electric and its Partner NRG Controls North, Inc. will implement multiple energy conservation measures (ECMs) in order to meet these reductions. ECMs to be installed include a new direct digital control energy management system, a full lighting retrofit with motion sensors in the gym, LED exit signs, a cutting-edge electric hot water heater, and new fuel-oil boiler.

“We’ve been experiencing control and comfort issues throughout our school buildings for the past few years,” said Bronson Stone, superintendent, Susquehanna Community Schools. “Our equipment was more than 30 years old and near the end of its useful life. With this initiative, we wanted to address the problems across all school buildings in one comprehensive project, while capturing energy savings to help fund the project. A performance contract was the fastest and most cost-effective strategy to reach that goal, while furthering the district’s commitment to energy efficiency.”

Performance contracting offers many long-term benefits for school districts, such as improved facility efficiency, occupant comfort, financial management and environmental protection. Typically, new, more efficient equipment and upgraded facility automation systems maximize energy efficiency and generate utility savings. Schneider Electric guarantees the amount of savings performance contracting projects will achieve and agrees to pay the difference if that amount is not realized.

“Every year we see more school districts discovering performance contracting as a tool to provide students and staff with an optimal learning environment through energy-efficient solutions. One of the main draws is that the process keeps out-of-pocket costs low,” said Shon Anderson, vice president of Energy Solutions sales, Schneider Electric. “In this particular case, the return on investment for the new energy management system installed by Schneider Electric will be realized almost immediately upon completion, allowing for improved and more consistent comfort throughout the building, enhanced scheduling capabilities, and less burden to the maintenance staff, while drastically reducing costs.”

About Schneider Electric
As a global specialist in energy management with operations in more than 100 countries, Schneider Electric offers integrated solutions across multiple market segments, including leadership positions in energy and infrastructure, industrial processes, building automation, and data centers/networks, as well as a broad presence in residential applications. Focused on making energy safe, reliable, and efficient, the company's 100,000+ employees achieved sales of more than $22 billion in 2009, through an active commitment to help individuals and organizations “Make the most of their energy.”  www.schneider-electric.us

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