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Luzerne Valley Unified School District will save millions in energy costs

Posted on by L. Dreeye
Luzerne Valley Unified School District will save millions in energy costs

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The Luzerne Valley Unified School District board of trustees has approved a project they say will save the district millions of dollars in energy costs.

Design, construction and management contractor SiteLogIQ will add state-of-the-art sports lighting to Lucerne Valley High School’s Ron Peavy Stadium, as well as upgrade the HVAC system. SiteLogIQ will manage all aspects of the project, county officials said.

The district’s expected savings are just over $2.2 million, said Assistant Superintendent for Business Services Olga Fisher.

Most of the savings will come from lower projected energy costs.

According to Nick Eddy, SiteLogIQ K-12 account manager, electricity costs have increased 311% since 1979.

“The rate of escalation has been in double digits for the last three years,” he added.

The cost of the project will be helped by the Inflation Reduction Act, which allows the county to receive a federal tax credit, SiteLogIQ officials said. The tax break could mean up to 40% of the project’s investment would come back to the county, they said.

Project benefits include:

  • Increased energy efficiency
  • Significant reduction in utility costs
  • Upgraded facilities to promote a sustainable learning environment
  • Reducing carbon emissions helps meet the state’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2035.
  • Solar additions that provide an enhanced outdoor learning environment and/or shade for students in playground/practice areas.
  • The lighting of sports fields and paths has been improved.
  • Improve air quality by replacing HVAC systems that have reached the end of their useful life.
  • Modernize building controls with smart thermostats and remote control capabilities.

Below are the planned improvements at each site:

Middle/High School: SiteLogIQ will install 100kW/558kWh battery energy storage systems (BESS) to provide demand management and energy arbitrage, working in conjunction with the carport’s existing solar PV system. Additionally, replace outdated athletic field lighting with new LED fixtures, install walkway lighting between the athletic field and parking lot, upgrade existing building management systems with Pelican Wireless TC3 thermostats, replace the outdated distribution panel for the facility’s main utilities with a new one purchased by the district distribution panel in middle/high school campus.

Primary school: The company will install an additional 43.2 kilowatts of solar power to offset the meter at the north end of Lucerne Valley Elementary School, and will also upgrade existing building control systems with Pelican Wireless TC3 thermostatic systems.

District office: At the district office, SiteLogIQ will replace 14 existing heating units and upgrade existing building management systems to Pelican Wireless TC3.

SiteLogIQ plans to implement some projects this school year, such as stadium lighting. Some of the work will begin during the winter holidays. Major work, such as installing the solar array and battery backup, will take about 18 months, Fisher said.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz