DVUSD receives large APS rebate
Energy savings just beginning
by Brian DiTullio

DVUSD – A good energy policy meant a hefty rebate for the Deer Valley Unified School District, and plans for more efficient energy use.

Jan Bennett, vice president of customer service for Arizona Public Service Co., presented a check to the district for $170,757. The rebate came through the APS Solutions for Business Program, of which DVUSD received the largest of any applicant.

Bennett congratulated the school district on its achievement and thanked the board and the district for all the work it put into conserving energy.

The APS Solutions for Business program offers incentives to APS municipal, school, commercial, and industrial customers who install energy efficient equipment, or take a variety of other energy savings measures.

Director of Fiscal Services Jim Migliorino said the installation of energy efficient air conditioning units and other equipment at seven schools in large part contributed to the rebate.

According to a press release from APS, the district is saving the equivalent of 150 homes worth of energy consumption per year. This corresponds to an additional reduction of 16,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions and will save an estimated eight million gallons of water per year.

Later in the meeting, Migliorino then presented a plan that would cut the district’s utility usage  by 10 percent in the coming year. Focusing on electricity, Migliorino said the plan is going to be applied to seven different schools and that he hopes to have similar conservation plans in place by next year for water and natural gas.

Most of the suggestions involved changing temperature settings by two degrees, from 74 to 76 degrees when occupied. These settings then could be adjusted further a degree or two depending on the room’s usage at the time. The plan also suggested raising the unoccupied temperature of the buildings during the summer months from 80 degrees to 88 degrees.

The plan included guidelines for when the buildings should be heated or cooled for student occupation and for the cleaning crews.

Board member Christy Agosta applauded the program and asked Migliorino if more money could be directed toward energy saving programs in the future, perhaps through a bond issue.

The board was keen to hear about energy savings plans as the state government subsidy of energy bills will end in two years while APS seeks to raise rates an estimated 10 percent.