DeBra-Kuempel

Owner:

Denver-Elek, Inc.

Client:

The Pendleton County School District

Scope Of Work

DeBra-Kuempel helped this client complete a complex scope of work at two elementary schools, a middle school, a high school, a school center, a Board of Education building, and a bus garage.

In all cafeterias and classroom and common areas, we replaced incandescent with high-efficiency fluorescent lighting. In the elementary and high school gymnasiums, the company substituted high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting for incandescent. We installed low-flow aerators on faucets, as well as electronic flush valves on urinals and in water closets. In the boys and girls athletic showers, we put in low-flow shower heads.

To further reduce energy consumption at the two elementary schools, we removed the cafeteria's old rooftop heating and cooling units and installed more energy-efficient devices. We replaced electric with gas booster heaters for dishwashers at one elementary school, the middle school, and the high school. In middle school restrooms, we installed energy recovery ventilators, which re-use warm air in winter and cool air in summer. For the bus garage, where doors are frequently opened and closed, we replaced forced-air furnaces with more efficient radiant tube heaters.

Some of the most extensive work was done at the high school, where we installed a 125-ton air-cooled chiller. It feeds all the building's air handlers, including two new gymnasium units with galvanized spiral and horizontal fabric ductwork, and 30 new classroom devices with chilled-water fan coils. This work also involved pumps and mechanical joint stainless steel supply-and-return piping. Since the piping had to be installed through an existing ceiling, we did this work at night to avoid disrupting the normal school day.

Finally, a web-based Automated Logic Control system enables more accurate and precise energy management. Using a flexible server/controller architecture, the Energy Management System (EMS) integrates the district's four schools' heating, energy, and lighting equipment. Full alarming capability warns of equipment failures or precipitous temperature drops. By integrating the system into the existing control network, we eliminated additional phone and internet costs, which the district would have incurred if it had built a new communications backbone.

To ensure that the district is meeting its energy-saving objectives, DeBra-Kuempel is providing ongoing energy monitoring. This involves tracking gas, electric, and water bills; comparing them on an adjusted basis against pre-upgrade baselines; and reporting usage and cost trends.