News/Press

Manteca Record
May 19, 2010

Getting a Charge Out of Savings:
District Exceeds Original Goal of Energy Reduction

By Keith Reid
MANTECA — When Manteca Unified hired a consultant to help the district curb its spending on energy costs at 30 school sites and administrative offices, officials had hoped for a 10 percent savings.

Those expectations have been shattered in the first six months of the energy conservation program. In a good way.

Manteca Unified has saved more than $486,000 in the past six months, trimming an average of $80,000 off its monthly $400,000 utility bills.

"We are on pace to hit $1 million early next year. We're saving the equivalent of a teacher's total (annual) compensation per month," Superintendent Jason Messer said.
The district entered into a deal with consulting firm Energy Education in August with a $25,000 payment up front and a four-year contract that pays the consultant $24,000 a month.

The savings dwarf the consultant fees.

"We've had some bad months, and we're still saving $60,000 in those months," Messer said.

Lino Acevedo, a Manteca Unified School District building maintenance worker, checks up on an air-conditioning unit Tuesday atop the district office in Manteca. The district has managed to cut $80,000 per month from its utility bill. Clifford Oto/The Record

To save money, the district assigned teachers Victoria Brunn and Kimberly Wright to be trained in energy conservation methods and begin monitoring how the district can save.

In the past six months, the conservation team has monitored heating and air conditioning units and asked employees to be energy conscious on all levels. All electronics are being turned off when they are not in use. The district has closed its buildings down during weekends, holidays and other breaks. All the changes are logged into a computer program.

"People in this district have been so cooperative, and the way the budget looks right now, they clearly see it as an opportunity to help the district," Brunn said.
Messer said the team is also looking to find ways to limit energy use in other areas, such as creating schedules for heating swimming pools and finding ways to limit energy use for stadium lighting during football games.

"We are also looking at what PG&E is charging when. There are times we get charged 17 cents per kilowatt hour. There are times they charge $1.70 a kilowatt hour. So we can shut down when it's $1.70 an hour."

During the summer, the district office will be open four days a week, Messer said, saving energy on Fridays.

"We'll work four 10-hour days, but we'll also start early," he said. "We will turn the air conditioner off at 3 p.m."

All the energy conservation could lead to compounded savings, Messer added. As the district becomes more efficient, it can begin implementing solar power and other methods.

"We'll get to where we are using alternative fuels, solar and even digging wells to maximize our groundwater. We want to be as efficient as possible," he said.