Chugwater school gets smart about energy efficiency

Wheatland Rural Electric Association and Tri-State G&T provide school district $7,560 in energy efficiency incentives for installation of electric thermal storage

Platte County School District #1 Superintendent Stuart Nelson accepted a $7,560 check Monday night at its monthly board meeting from Wheatland Rural Electric Association (WREA) and the co-op’s power supplier, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association (Tri-State), in recognition of Chugwater Elementary School’s recent conversion from a coal-fired heating system to energy-efficient electric thermal storage (ETS) units.

WREA worked with Platte County School District #1 at the Chugwater Elementary School last spring to perform an energy efficiency audit and recommended that an ETS system would save it money on the initial installation, as well as on long-term energy costs. As an added incentive to the energy savings, Tri-State and WREA were able to provide the $7,560 incentive for the installation of the ETS through their long-standing Energy Efficiency Credits (EEC) program that is meant to encourage and reward energy-efficient purchases and practices.

• Watch a video that showcases the ETS appliance, explains how the district reduced its heating costs, and highlights the school staff's reactions to the new energy efficient heating system.

“ETS units are extremely effective in Wyoming and the Rocky Mountain region because the technology allows the consumer to 'charge' the units during off-peak times when electric rates are low, which is typically at night,” explained WREA’s member services manager Al Teel. “Then the units release that stored heat when it’s needed during the daytime.”

Teel estimates that the school’s annual operating cost will be about $20,000, compared to the cost of coal for the year which is about $40,000. Originally the school looked at installing a geo-transfer heating system, which is another form of technology that is highly efficient, but the initial investment was estimated at about $1.2 million. The total cost to install the ETS system was about $580,000, resulting in a significantly less upfront cost, but providing comparable energy savings. In addition, the system allows for the water heaters to be controlled and is estimated to cut that operating cost by 53 percent.

“We wanted to make sure the school got the most ‘bang’ for its buck,” said Teel. “Once we prove the system works this winter, we hope PCSD #1 will consider installing ETS at the neighboring high school sometime in the future.”

“Our schools are getting smarter about energy use,” said Superintendent Nelson. “This highly efficient heating system will surely save the school district money and resources.

“This system also allows us to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars and to set a clear example for our youth that energy conservation is no longer just a nice thought but a necessity as we move forward,” added Nelson.

“Tri-State and WREA have innovative programs to help our member-consumers, including rural schools, use energy more efficiently,” said Jack Finnerty, WREA director and Tri-State board member. “We are proud to provide this large incentive to complement the significant savings the school district will receive from its energy efficiency efforts.”

Tri-State has offered its Energy Efficiency Program since 1985. In this program, Tri-State and WREA provide incentives as a means to encourage and reward energy-efficient purchases and practices. The program also is intended to advance promising electric technologies through pilot opportunities. Throughout its service territory, Tri-State provided more than $1.6 million so far in 2009 to homeowners and business operators for installing more efficient lighting, appliances, heating and cooling systems, and for switching to high-efficiency motors in irrigation, commercial and industrial applications.

Updated: November 18, 2009