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Murray » The adage "It takes a village ..." has new meaning for Rock Boyer and Rod Pace of Murray School District. They have served as watchdogs of the district's plan to make schools more energy efficient.
Boyer is the energy education specialist, as well as a school counselor; Pace oversees the buildings and the grounds crew. They have already updated older schools with new thermostats, replaced windows and switched to compact fluorescent light bulbs. And while those changes have produced results, the pair agree the energy program wouldn't be possible without the help and cooperation of teachers and staff.
"It hasn't been easy," Boyer said about getting people to change energy habits. "It's a slow process because you have to start building relationships and start educating them on the facts and the beneficial impact they can have. But now the teachers and staff are totally behind the program. We're all very excited about the results."
Since the program was launched two years ago, Murray School District has saved more than $500,000 and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 1,988 metric tons, which equates to 357 fewer cars on the road.
Their efforts haven't gone unnoticed.
Murray district recently received the Award for Energy Stewardship from Energy Education Inc., a Dallas-based conservation consulting firm. The district has contracted with Energy Education since 2007 to help educate
Murray district's four-year contract with Energy Education costs $8,100 per month, which is taken out of the district's energy savings. The monthly fee pays for Boyer to attend three annual seminars, consult with experts who come to Murray, as well as software needed to measure and control energy readings. So far, Murray has paid just under $200,000 for Energy Education's consultation fees and will keep $300,000 of the savings. After the contract is up, Energy Education will offer free services to Murray as long as they continue an energy conservation plan, said Jan Noel-Smith, director of public relations for the company.
Pat O'Hara, director of support services for Murray district, said he liked the idea of finding new ways to save money.
"I think any public agency with public money has an obligation to actively adopt an aggressive program to monitor energy," he said. The savings have gone back into the schools to help fund the repair and replacement of equipment, and pay the salaries of Boyer and Pace. In the evenings, Boyer takes energy readings or audits from every school at least twice a week and then sends an e-mail to principals with the results. He can trace efficiency down to which bathroom has a leaky faucet.
So what's Murray's secret? Pace theorizes that one reason is that it's a smaller district, which makes the work load more manageable. He also credits support from the district administration as crucial to their success. Ed Gaff, marketing director for Energy Education, agrees such support is key.
"The reason the program is going so well in Murray is because the district is so supportive of it from the top to bottom. They are all in," Gaff said. "This is a people-based program. You can't just rely on the high-efficiency performance of technology. You have to have the involvement of the people to make it all work."
