Michigan school district earns straight A’s for energy-efficiency plan

The district has approved a bundled energy solutions contract with Farmington Hills, Mich.-based Linc Mechanical. Planned improvements could save the school system millions over the next 15 years through reduced energy consumption in multiple buildings.

The three-month project is underway and will be completed prior to the start of the 2008-2009 school year. Linc Mechanical will upgrade systems in five district schools, including Crestwood High School, three elementary buildings and Riverside Middle School. Improvements also will be made in a district bus garage.

Project upgrades will include the installation of energy-efficient boilers and pumps, energy-efficient lighting and multiple-system recommissionings.

A large portion of the project will focus on replacing boilers that are more than 40 years old in four of the five schools with up-to-date models. The upgrades, along with new controls, vents, drives and lighting, are projected to save the school system $232,800 annually. Total savings over the next 15 years should approach $3.5 million, according to the contractor.

The project will be funded completely from the existing operating and utility budget with payments spread out over a 15-year span.

“This project is a win-win for the Crestwood School District,” said Crestwood Superintendent Dr. Laurine VanValkenburg. “We are going green, and we look forward to realizing the many benefits that reduced energy consumption will bring to our students and faculty.” Crestwood School District is one of four districts that serve the city of Dearborn Heights, Mich., a western suburb of Detroit. The district’s K-12 enrollment is 3,418.

Linc Mechanical will assist the district in achieving Energy Star certification for district buildings.

“The Crestwood School District had boilers that were more than 40 years old and needed to be replaced, but no way to fund the replacement,” said Bill Maurer, Linc Mechanical vice president of bundled energy solutions. “Our program affords the funding mechanism to replace aging boilers, lighting and pneumatic controls, while utilizing Crestwood’s existing operating budget. No capital outlay from the district is necessary, and we eliminate the risk for the schools because our company guarantees the savings.”

Linc Mechanical LLC-Detroit is a member of the Linc Service Network, an organization of mechanical contractors with 140 members across the United States, Canada, Bermuda and Mexico.