Schools' energy savings don't add up

Through the assistance Dan Welch, an independent engineer from Apex, the Superintendent Jeff Cox learned the local school system was not reaching expected energy savings after entering into an energy savings contract with Ameresco about three years ago.

The announcement was made during the school board's Sept. 8 meeting. Cox credits Joe Ward with Blue Ridge Electric for recommending Welch.

Offering a background on the school system's affiliation with the company Cox stated, "We did this energy savings contract where we worked with this company, Ameresco, to come in and update a lot of our equipment, our lighting, some different systems that we have that use energy (and) water. The idea was they did about $700-some-thousand worth of upgrades and the contract stated we would save enough each year over the next 12 to 15 years that we would save enough annual to make a payment on the loan to pay back the $700-some-thousand to purchase all this equipment."

Annual payments from the school system are about $70,000, and this year, Cox opted to have Welch—who had no affiliation with the school system nor the energy savings company—to come to the local schools and do a review to see if the school system was in fact realizing the projected energy savings.