The Solution
Contracted to install the systems and monitor energy consumption, Automated Logic Texas used WebCTRL’s reporting capabilities to capture data from each of the district’s schools. The information was extracted by M-Power, exported to a central database and sorted into categories including raw kilowatt, kilowatt per square foot, cost per square foot and cost per student. Data from both the WebCTRL system and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas established a baseline for measuring savings and pinpointing no-cost and low-cost conservation measures that would immediately impact energy costs. In addition, WebCTRL’s building management functions enabled Automated Logic Texas to define occupancy schedules, adjust setpoints and control other parameters affecting utility expenses.
“The new applications were essential for analysis and implementation,” McCorquodale remarked.
“WebCTRL and M-Power provided a comparative analysis between 2004 and 2005. Using actual billing data from the revenue meter is persuasive to a group like a school board,” McCorquodale continued. “It enabled us to show that the return on investment took less than three months.” The accelerated ROI was achieved even with significantly more cooling degree days during May-June 2005 as compared to 2004.
LPISD’s Clausen thinks WebCTRL is also making it much easier to meet the real-world comfort demands of a very busy school system and cited an example.
“A couple of months ago, the school board changed its regular meeting date,” Clausen said. “When I arrived, the air wasn’t running because the building hadn’t been scheduled for use. I logged onto WebCTRL right from the meeting room and turned on the air. Nobody even noticed there was a problem.”
WebCTRL has also enabled the district to address potential problems more easily. The food services operation, for example, is now using the system’s alarm feature to monitor freezers at each of the schools. Before the upgrade, personnel had to physically check the units at each location.
“It’s a lot more convenient,” said Clausen. “And it’s helping us meet our duty to the taxpayers by giving us a way to reduce energy costs as much as possible.”