DALLAS — Schneider Electric announced the start of construction on a $4,207,972 million energy savings performance contract (ESPC) project with the Yazoo County School District in Yazoo City, Mississippi. The comprehensive energy efficiency project will transform the district’s high school by implementing state-of-the art infrastructure upgrades and improve campus safety throughout the district. The project is expected to reduce the Yazoo County School District’s utility budget by 26 percent, saving over $92,000 in annual energy expenses or $2.5 million over the life of the project.

The Yazoo County School District faced aging infrastructure challenges including a failing chiller system at the high school and poor exterior lighting, which caused uncomfortable classrooms and unsafe campus environments. Working with Schneider Electric, the district leveraged the ESPC funding model to improve energy efficiency in three school buildings — its high school, middle school, and Linwood Elementary — to enable a safer and more comfortable learning environment. Upon completion of the project, the high school will receive a new HVAC and boiler system and updated drop ceiling to improve occupant comfort. All three school buildings will receive new interior and exterior lighting for increased safety, updated plumbing fixtures, an IT enterprise management system, and centralized building automation systems to increase visibility into energy management.

“Our entire district will benefit from updated technology and the installation of reliable, state-of-the-art equipment,” said Becky Fisher, superintendent, Yazoo County School District. “Schneider Electric was instrumental in helping us discover energy efficient strategies and obtain an ESPC to be able to move forward with this project. The guaranteed energy savings ensure we can complete the necessary upgrades in our schools without investing huge upfront capital.”

The ESPC project will generate significant energy savings for the Yazoo County School District. In addition, the project will have substantial environmental impacts of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 507 tons.

“It is great to be able to help school districts like Yazoo County find energy efficient solutions to address aging infrastructure problems,” said Tammy Fulop, vice president, Schneider Electric. “We’re thrilled to kick-off construction on this project and create more modern schools with centralized controls to optimize efficiency and ultimately reduce utility expenses that can be reinvested into valuable programs.”

For more information, visit www.enable.schneider-electric.com.

Publication date: 5/23/2016

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