PEORIA, Ill. – Peoria Public Schools has a blueprint on how to save energy and money district-wide.
Representatives from Ameren presented the results of a study the utility did of the district, as part of its Carbon-Free Assessment Program. The free assessment explains where improvements can be made, and offers suggestions on how to reduce energy consumption.
Some of the low-cost measures include increasing the temperature in buildings when no one is in them, and implementing optimal start times for HVAC systems.
Ameren also suggests the district properly insulate valves and joints in mechanical areas in school buildings, after showing heat and temperature maps throughout various PPS buildings.
“These are items that can have immense monetary savings for sealing up the buildings and reducing the amount of heat that is transferred or escapes,” said Ameren Program Manager Adam Fields.
Fields also suggested the usage of solar energy. He used Richwoods High School as an example, saying the addition of solar panels to the roof and parking lot could save an estimated $138,000 each year.
He adds that solar can help achieve the overall goal of the program.
“We did find that if all of our recommended solar installations were implemented, the district as a whole would achieve net zero,” Fields said.
PPS Director of Transportation Josh Collins tells 25 News one of the goals is to use the money saved back into education, as well as creating a cleaner environment.
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