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Clovis Unified Changing Carbon Footprint
Saving Millions Of Dollars

By Debra Steele

11/06/2007 - The Clovis Unified School District could soon have some extra cash on hand for school programs, if their latest effort to save on energy bills is successful.

Developers of the energy education program say they've helped school districts across the country save more than a billion dollars over the last 20 years on energy costs. Clovis Unified is confident it will help save them money as well.

The Clovis North Educational Complex has millions of dollars worth of equipment for heating, cooling, lighting and filtering. Administrators thought it would be the perfect place to start conserving energy.

Kelly Avants, Clovis Unified School District, says "For instance a high school is approximately $50,000 per month in utility costs and an educational center like Clovis North, Clovis East, Buchanan Center run about $80,000 per month."

Clovis Unified School District spends $7 to $8 million each year to keep its schools and administrative offices operating.

Two district employees who just completed energy education training will show administrators, teachers and students the best ways to reduce the schools consumption of electricity, fuel, and water.

Eric Colvin, Clovis Unified School District, says "In the classroom the kids and the teachers can just be aware of when they leave the classroom for like 10 or 15 minutes to make sure they turn the lights off. Make sure they take advantage of California's great weather; when it's nice outside there is no need to run the air-conditioner or the heat we want to make sure we take advantage of that time."

Clovis North's two large pools are expected to be completed by February. Officials want to keep its pumps and filters operating at a minimum during overnight hours, weekends, holidays and summer vacation.

Gary Foster, Energy Manager, says "We would like to essentially throttle back those motors and save power and just maintain the pools their chemicals and their heat. And then once the kids get back in we pump it back up and start filtering heavy."

Over the next few months school officials will be visiting each and every district campus to look for ways to make them more energy efficient.

"By saving that energy for example our first year goal is equivalent to taking about 440,000 cars off the road per day in a carbon footprint," says Foster.

Over the next 4 years Clovis Unified expects to save more than $8 million; money they will put back into the classroom.

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