Lowe’s Pays for Inmates to Make N.C. Schools Energy Efficient

January 8, 2007

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

North Carolina inmates have been making energy-efficiency repairs to public schools during this winter break. This is the second year of a program using prison workers to make energy cost saving improvements at public schools. It is paid for by a $100,000 contribution by Lowe’s Companies.

Seventy-three schools in 10 school systems made requests to the Department of Public Instruction to receive the weatherization work. The school systems are: Alamance-Burlington, Cherokee, Gates, Lincoln, Montgomery, Rowan-Salisbury, Scotland, Stokes, Surry, and Yadkin. Last year, 66 schools in 12 school systems had repair work done.

That’s just one of the energy conservation resources announced by North Carolina Governor Easley to make schools more energy efficient. Easley also encouraged public school facility managers to take advantage of a program through which the state shares the costs of facility energy audits, steam trap surveys, and servicing heating and air conditioning and boiler systems for public schools.

Programs include Facility Energy Audits, which identify where school buildings are using or leaking unnecessary energy. The audits are performed by the North Carolina State University Industrial Extension Service through a partnership with the State Energy Office. The State Energy Office funds $1,400 of the $2,000 audit cost. Average annual recommended savings per audit are more than $46,000.

The State Energy Office also provides support for a Steam Trap Survey Program for facilities that use steam for heating and/or processing. These services enable facilities to identify steam loss, thereby saving energy and money. The State Energy Office covers up to 80 percent of the survey cost.

The heating and air conditioning Controls Tune-up Program helps schools improve energy efficiency and reliability, conserve energy and reduce the facilities’ energy bills. The State Energy Office reimburses $1,000 of the cost of each tune-up, with a 50 percent match from the facility site.

The Boiler Tune-up Program assists state facility directors in improving the operating efficiency of their boilers. The State Energy Office contributes $500 toward the cost of each tune-up. The subsidy is about 50 percent of the expected costs. The program addresses boilers greater than 50 horsepower.

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

Advertisers

Make sustainability part of your strategy.

Get equipped at the SAP Sustainability Resource Center. >>

Unclear about the EPA's new GHG Rule?

Learn how it could affect your business. >>

EPA mandatory emissions reporting starts Jan 1st

CSA Standards can help your organization get ready for compliance. Find out how. >>

Product Environmental Compliance Best Practices

How to achieve compliance at a significantly lower cost. Download the full report. >>

Join the Discussion

Recent Daily News [ see all ]

11/20/2009
11/19/2009
11/18/2009

Charts [ see all ]

European Paper Industry Cuts CO2 Emissions by 42% since 1990

S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks

Nike Tops Annual Climate Action Scores

Oceans May Trap more Carbon than Forests

Jobs

View All Jobs >> Post a Job >>

Comments and Discussions

Trade Association on Trade Group on EPA Chemical Regs: ‘If Everything is a Priority, Then Nothing is a Priority’
"Seriously… that..."

Gary Markowitz on Supermarkets Tackle Emissions Reductions, Fuel Efficiency
"Supermarkets waste over 10 percent of their energy through improper..."

peter in ireland on Ontario May Follow California’s Lead on TV Energy Efficiency
"Governor Schwarzenegger is shooting himself in the foot! 1...."

Environmental Leader on S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks
"The survey respondents (the PDF report mentions 4,000 respondents in 38..."

Jake on UPS Trying New Hydraulic Hybrid Trucks
"A point of clarification: the Reuters press release referenced herein reports that 20 UPS will purchase..."

Custom Organic Shirts on S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks
"90% of North Americans believe it is urgent to get a global climate..."

peter dublin on California City’s Green Building Ordinance Applies to Commercial Buildings
"Why energy efficiebnt regulation on buildings –..."

Environmental Leader