Energy manager saves Onalaska schools big money
By BOB SEAQUIST | Special correspondent
There’s a retired middle schoolteacher lurking in the darkened corridors of Onalaska’s school buildings, and his wandering in the shadows is saving big money for the school district. In fact, in the five months retired social studies teacher Doug Hauser has been doing his nocturnal visits, he’s helped cut the district’s energy bill by $69,355.
Hauser is Onalaska’s energy manager, employed part time by the schools and guided by Energy Education Inc. to cut energy use and save money. Even though Energy Education Inc. is charging $88,500 for its services, it is expected to save more than $154,000.
Hauser is a life-long conservationist who enjoys working with schoolteachers and school employees cutting energy waste. “I try to reduce my footprint,” he said.
So far, he’s helped the schools reduce their energy “footprint” 21 percent, and that’s adjusted for a relatively warm winter.
The energy reduction does not reduce comfort. “We do not want people to be uncomfortable; this is not a draconian effort,” Hauser said.
Saving money on energy is actually cost-avoidance, according to Hauser. It is looking for ways of not using energy when it is not needed, like turning off computer monitors and printers as well as the computers themselves. The school district owns more than 1,200 computers, so turning all of them off when not being used is significant.
Turning off air handlers when buildings are not occupied is big. So is turning off hall lights and even security lights. “Why have all these lights on for security when there are effective security systems?” Hauser asks.
When a water machine was recently added, he discovered it was running and so was its advertising display late at night when there was no one around to buy water. It was turned off.
Hauser insists that credit for cutting energy use and costs goes to school district personnel in general and head custodians in particular. “They are the key; I rely on them,” Hauser said. “They know where the waste is.”
The school staff plan carefully to assure areas that are used nights and weekends are comfortable while vacant areas are turned off. Timing is important, too, for operating air handlers so buildings are comfortable only as long as they need to be.
Everyone in the school district is involved. And they get reminders from Hauser — he leaves little Post-It notes — if they forgot and left a computer on or if they did a good job in saving energy. “Everyone jumped on the program,” Hauser said. “They want to participate.”
Onalaska contracted with Energy Education for four years. After that, the district can continue paying a small software licensing cost as well as keeping an energy manager on staff. Hauser said it is important for the district to have an energy manager and to keep the program alive because people forget quickly and go back to sloppy and wasteful habits.
He recalled a project in the middle school where students kept an eye on energy use. When the project ended, the conservation was not as good, he said.
Hauser prowls school property about 20 hours a week, visiting when no one is there as well as when buildings are in use. He likes face-to-face contact because it’s a reminder of the energy program and he also likes walking through vacant buildings listening for equipment that should be turned off.
“There are a lot of opportunities for saving, and one person snooping around will find many of them,” he said.
“Now everyone in the district knows what my wife has been living with for years,” joked Hauser of his energy-saving ways.
Copyright 2006 Holmen Courier and other attributed sources.