Schools Save Money Through Energy Conservation

When the Olymipa School District in Washington State hired a resource conservation manager, they expected her to save the district money by looking into more efficient ways to use resources. However, they may not have counted on Britten Witzenburg to save nearly $75,000.

Witzenburg has implemented a number of cost- and resource-saving initiatives, all of which are simple and relatively low-tech. One of the biggest payoff items is expected to be the installation of 365-day thermostats that the district could use to automatically lower heating or cooling of buildings on holidays or over the summer break. The thermostats were provided to the district free of charge through a local energy rebate program.

At a time when school districts are facing budget cuts and are trying to pinch every penny, creative yet simple solutions such as this are exactly what they need.

Sources: The Olympian, WorldChanging