Energy costs go down for schools as part of the BizSavers program
Three central Missouri school districts are saving big dollars on their energy bills through the Ameren Missouri's BizSavers® program. School districts in Boonville, Jefferson City, and Mexico are estimated to save nearly $200,000 per year, combined, as a result of implementing smart energy efficiency upgrades based on BizSavers incentives.
Here are how the savings break down, by school district:
The Boonville R-1 School District is estimated to save more than $32,000 a year.
The Jefferson City School District is estimated to save more than $40,000 a year.
The Mexico School District is estimated to save more than $123,000 a year.
In addition to the ongoing savings, schools and students benefit from the Ameren Missouri BizSavers energy efficiency program through cash incentives for new efficient equipment.
The Jefferson City School District implemented the smart energy upgrades prior to students and staff returning to classrooms on Aug. 24. It replaced nearly 3,800 inefficient fixtures with LED lighting at the high school, middle schools, and several other buildings, creating a brighter learning environment for students. LED lightbulbs use up to 55% less energy and can last up to 13 times longer than fluorescent light bulbs. They also generate less heat, reducing the strain on air conditioning systems. The new LED lighting improvements will allow the facilities to reduce their lighting load by 494,472 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year.
“We were excited to learn that, with Ameren Missouri’s BizSavers program, we could update our buildings to be more energy efficient while also saving on our operating costs year after year,” said Frank Underwood, director of facilities, safety, transportation, and security at Jefferson City Public School District. “We’re pleased to have the opportunity to reinvest these savings in other ways that benefit our students and staff.”
The district also saved more than $42,000 in purchase and installation costs for the LED lighting and energy-efficient upgrades thanks to cash incentives from Ameren Missouri.
The Mexico School District made smart energy upgrades to many of its buildings. Over the past three years, 4,200 lamps and fixtures were replaced with LED lights in several buildings across the district. In addition, heating and cooling upgrades were made at Hawthorne Elementary, Eugene Field Elementary, and Mexico Middle School. The district reduced installation costs by taking advantage of nearly $292,000 in cash incentives.
“Taking steps to be more energy efficient is just one way the district is fiscally conservative with taxpayer dollars,” said Marci Minor, director of communications for Mexico School District. “Our administrative team collaborated with Ameren Missouri to provide the best option to maintain a safe and efficient learning environment for our students; it’s a win-win for everyone involved.”
Upgrading inefficient HVAC systems can significantly reduce energy usage by 30–50%, which helps save on utility costs long-term. Since 2017, the school district has reduced its annual energy use by 1,339,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh).
The 2020 school year is also looking brighter for students as they returned for classes Aug. 24 at the Boonville R-1 School District, thanks to smart energy upgrades.
The school district’s energy-saving upgrades include HVAC improvements and the installation of a building automation system to respond to changing temperature and humidity levels. More than 2,400 LED lighting fixtures were updated in several district buildings over the course of three years.
“We’re always looking for more ways to be efficient without sacrificing high-quality education in a comfortable environment,” said Fred Smith, assistant superintendent for facilities of Boonville R-1 School District. “Thanks to the Ameren Missouri incentives and our annual energy cost savings, the upgrades to our Hannah Cole Primary School paid for themselves within a year. Now, the money we’re saving on energy each year can be reallocated to fulfill other needs for our students and the district.”
“Keeping energy use low is especially important as more schools and organizations experience tight budgets,” said Rich Wright, manager of energy efficiency at Ameren Missouri. “Ameren Missouri’s BizSavers program helps organizations, like school districts, save money on their energy statements, so they can spend it on what really matters – their students and staff. We also offer a similar program that provides rebates – and ongoing cost savings – for energy-efficient upgrades made at home.”
“Often, organizations think they may not be able to afford to upgrade to more efficient technologies, but the beauty of these programs is that, with Ameren Missouri’s cash incentives, as well as the annual energy savings from improvements, these projects quickly pay for themselves and end up saving businesses and organizations a lot of money going forward,” said Wright.
Since 2018, Missouri schools have saved more than $3.5 million on their energy statements and conserved more than 41 million kilowatt-hours of electricity as a direct result of energy-efficient upgrades. That's enough electricity to power nearly 5,000 homes for a full year. Ameren Missouri helped offset the districts' installation costs by providing more than $6 million in incentives.
The Ameren Missouri BizSavers program offers 26 energy efficiency programs to help residential and commercial customers reduce energy costs. Ameren Missouri expects to invest $226 million over the life of its energy-efficiency programs, which in turn would provide $592 million in benefits for customers.
Visit AmerenMissouriSavings to learn about easy savings opportunities.
Visit AmerenMissouriBizSavers to see how businesses can save.