$10 Million School Energy-Saving Plan Approved

The Wayne Public School District voted to move ahead with a massive energy-saving plan that’s expected to save the district $10 million.

The Board of Education approved the plan at a meeting last week.

The project will cost about $10.2 million, said Business Administrator Juanita Petty. The district will finance the project with funds that have already been set aside for such upgrades and improvements, officials previously said.

The district will pay for the project over the next 15 years and will have to save enough money annually to pay for the improvements.

Superintendent Ray Gonzalez previously said that the project would be done at “no cost to the township taxpayers.”

The first round of upgrades will cost $9.3 million. It includes installing 16,000 LED and high-efficiency light bulbs and fixtures, lighting sensors, and automatic temperature control systems inside and outside all of the district’s schools. Thirteen of the district’s 35 boilers will be replaced.

Automated lighting and temperature control systems will be installed first. Wireless lighting sensors will “look” for occupants. The existing temperature controls, Gonzalez said, require “extensive continuing maintenance.” The new system would require less maintenance and improve energy efficiency by more than 20 percent.

The second tier upgrades include installing new steam traps and improved controls on freezer and refrigeration units. These upgrades are expected to cost $875,000.

The district will receive an estimated $1.1 million in rebates from the state Board of Public Utilities’ Energy Savings Improvement Program. The district will receive the money in four payments once work is done.

Officials estimate the project will cut 5.7 million pounds of carbon dioxide out of the district’s carbon footprint, the equivalent of removing 543 vehicles from the road.

Work is expected to begin next June.