School District Counters Spending Through Energy Conservation

Last year, Sumner School District hired Resource Conservation Manager Jay Donnaway to work with the district to improve energy conservation. At the Aug. 17 board meeting, he presented his findings and accomplishments thus far.

Donnaway made a very rough estimate that, weighing savings against expenditures (including his own salary), the district has saved about $200,000 on energy consumption costs since last September.

Since September, all of the schools in the district have adopted a single stream recycling system, meaning that cardboard, paper, plastic and glass can all go into the same bin.

In addition, Donnaway conducted an assessment of each school’s waste disposal system and replaced old dumpsters with new, appropriately-sized ones that would “keep out rain, reduce odor, vermin, and leakage,” and “minimize the number of extra hauls.”

The Community Kids Cardboard Crew, a program created with the special education students, picks up cardboard from six sites throughout the district for recycling purposes.

and began a pilot food waste recycling program. During the summer, the food waste bins have been used for yard waste.

Donnaway also addressed “the 800 pound gorilla in the utility budget”—electricity consumption.

The first step was to change schools with electric heating to gas pumps, which will save money in the long term.

Donnaway tracked each schools energy costs throughout the year. He discovered that some schools were using lighting and air-conditioning 24/7. In some cases, air vents had been installed backward. He endeavored to correct these and other problems.

In the year to come, will receive new lighting to replace old magnetic lighting that has recently been made illegal. Donnaway’s team will work toward “more complete vacation shut downs.” They will sequence equipment so that it does not all boot up at the same time, draining energy. They will also work to increase recycling. The team will focus on staff and student education, hopefully inducing a “behavioral change.”

“If you put a wet towel over an open window or a thermostat, the building will work harder to make you extra uncomfortable,” said Donnaway.

Donnoway will also help SSD apply for grants, beginning with an OSPI Energy Operational Savings Grant, which the board approved. $20 million is available state wide and Sumner is first in line because it did not receive a grant the first time around.

If SSD receives the $1 million grant, it will be required to match the amount (savings, utility rebates and third party funds count). That $2 million will go toward replacing the 19-year-old heat pumps at and .

When asked if he counted electrons to fall asleep at night, Donnaway replied, “I do wake up at 3 a.m. sometimes, thinking of garbage.”