Rushford-Peterson High School has a long history that illustrates how challenging improving energy efficiency can be in an older building. The original 1906 brick building and 1936 addition have nearly two-foot-thick walls. The 1957 addition has all single-pane glass windows and the 1970 addition was built using cinderblock construction with no insulation. There is no one easy, inexpensive strategy to make this building energy efficient.
Over the last six years the average yearly heating cost was just over $67,000 to heat the school buildings for six months out of the year, so upgrading the temperature control system was an effective way to target excess energy use. Superintendent Chuck Ehler determined that installing programmable thermostats throughout the building would be a valuable energy-saving measure.
For a relatively modest cost of $5,450, half of which was funded with an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG), the school installed 35 programmable thermostats, one in each room that did not already have a thermostat with a setback feature.
The new thermostats are set at 67 degrees during the day and 55 degrees at night and on weekends when students are not around. Last year, the first winter since installing the programmable thermostats, the school’s heating bill was half that of the previous year. However, the last winter being unusually mild, they have not yet determined how much of that was strictly due to the new thermostats.
Superintendent Ehler is very pleased with the new thermostats. They ensure more consistent heating and heating costs than the old thermostats that did not have setback features. For a modest investment, energy and cost savings from programmable thermostats can add up to a significant sum. The new thermostats operate 24-7 and are locked to prevent anyone changing the settings.
Despite that fact, Ehler notes that teachers are innovative; a few staff discovered they could override the temperature setting by covering the thermostat with a wet cloth. When Superintendent Ehler found out, he had a little “come-to-Jesus” meeting with the staff. Now everyone is on board with the energy- and cost-saving measures.
A lesson learned from this project is that technical fixes and controls can save energy. These controls, when coupled with staff training and buy-in, will ensure that energy efficiency measures achieve the biggest potential impact!
Click here to watch a video about how easy it is to install and program programmable thermostats >>
Other Local Government Energy Action Weatherization Stories:
- Local Government Weatherization: Saving Big with 50+ Projects Statewide
- Apartment upgrades in Windom, Harmony, and Buffalo offer savings for residents
- Weatherization at Westbrook-Walnut Grove High School conserves heat in winter
- Curiosity and continuous improvement pay off: Weatherization fixes cut waste in Itasca County
- Bringing a building back to life: Clear Waters Life Center in Gonvick, MN
About the Local Government Energy Action Series:
This year-long effort tells the stories of nearly 50 Minnesota municipalities, counties, and schools and the tangible results of their energy-saving efforts to inspire others to take their own actions.
Local Government Energy Action is brought to you by the Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources.
