SUBMITTED TO: Tahoe Truckee USD Donner Pass Road Truckee, CA (530) SUBMITTED BY:

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1 Tahoe Truckee USD Energy Benchmarking Report SUBMITTED TO: Tahoe Truckee USD Donner Pass Road Truckee, CA (530) SUBMITTED BY: CLEAResult 4301 Westbank Drive Austin, TX Contact: David Goett (512) Updated October 19 th, 2011 Sponsored by Liberty Energy Provided by CLEAResult

2 Table of Contents Introduction... 3 Background Information... 3 The Purpose of Benchmarking... 4 The Benchmarking Process... 4 Index of Charts and Tables... 5 Executive Summary...7 Current Energy Use Charts... 8 Correlation with Building Characteristics... 8 Comparison with Schools in Local Region... 9 Medians for Local Region...10 Comparison with Medians Targeting Schools for Further Assessment Comparison with Local School Districts Electrical Load Factor Energy Costs Historical Energy Use Charts Change in Energy Use by District Change in Energy Use by School Change in EPA Portfolio Manager Score by School Energy Performance Benchmarking Analysis District-Wide Energy Performance Historical Energy Use Table Current Energy Use Tables Energy Performance by School Type Energy Performance by Quartiles Translating the Numbers into Savings Calculating Energy Cost Savings Greenhouse Gas Emissions Energy Efficiency Resources for Schools Appendix Energy Performance Charts for Individual Schools

3 Introduction Background Information Tahoe Truckee USD elected to take advantage of the building energy performance benchmarking support provided on behalf of Liberty Energy. This re-benchmarking study analyzes the district s current performance and compares it against the first benchmarking study. The study includes 8 schools, and the breakdown by school type is as follows: 5 Elementary Schools 1 Middle School 2 High Schools The current year of energy consumption data used in this benchmarking study covers August 2010-July 2011, while the base year covers March 2007-February The data was reviewed for quality and accuracy and facilities with questionable data were eliminated from the survey. The natural gas billing data was normalized to offset any variation in weather patterns between the base and current years. In the instance of every school except Kings Beach ES, a positive correlation existed between monthly heating degree days and monthly gas usage. Weather data from the current year was used to adjust baseline energy usage according to the correlation. No adjustments were made to Kings Beach ES. Source: 2011 Google 3

4 The Purpose of Benchmarking Benchmarking the energy performance of your schools over multiple years helps you identify which schools are improving as well as where to focus energy efficiency efforts within your district. This Energy Benchmarking Report compares your schools energy performance against each other and against regional and national databases, but also shows how your schools energy performance has changed since your initial benchmarking analysis. This comparison will help you identify which of your schools have the greatest opportunities for energy and cost savings. This report: Introduces and provides an overview of the benchmarking process. Presents your district s overall energy performance as well as the performance of each school. Provides information about how to receive recognition for your energy efficiency efforts. The Benchmarking Process The energy and building data you provided e.g. twelve months of utility bills, school square footages, and number of students is entered into two separate energy performance rating systems. CLEAResult s Regional Energy Performance Databases and Data Modeling Process These databases contain building characteristics and energy usage information from hundreds of schools that CLEAResult has benchmarked in your climate region. These buildings provide a good basis for comparison of energy performance, as they experience similar outdoor temperature and humidity levels as your buildings. After uploading your information into the database for your region, a software model calculates the following energy benchmarks for each of your schools: annual energy use per square foot (Energy Use Index), annual energy cost per square foot (Energy Cost Index), and annual energy cost per student. The model then compares your calculated energy benchmarks to other schools in your climate region. The model only compares those schools of similar type and heat source (e.g. gas heated high schools are only compared to other gas heated high schools, etc). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency s (EPA) ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Tool Portfolio Manager is an online benchmarking tool that uses a mathematical algorithm to rank energy performance on a scale of 1 to 100. The algorithm was created based on actual building and utility data from hundreds of K-12 schools surveyed nationwide in the Department of Energy s (DOE) Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS). Portfolio Manager incorporates both energy consumption data and building characteristics such as number of computers, the presence of cooking facilities, square footage, and location (for weather adjustments) into its calculations. Once this information is uploaded, Portfolio Manager assigns an energy performance rating to your school. A score of 50 indicates that your school is performing better than half of schools nationwide. Schools scoring 75 or better may be eligible to apply for the ENERGY STAR Label. Your schools characteristics, utility data, and calculated energy benchmarks are presented in a number of ways throughout the following report and the Appendix. 4

5 Index of Charts and Tables Executive Summary...7 How much is your district spending on energy? How do you compare to other local school districts? If you brought your low performing schools up to par, how much would you save? Energy by School Type and Year Built in Nevada... 8 Do Nevada high schools consume significantly more energy per square feet than elementary schools? Do older schools consume more energy than newer schools built in Nevada? Energy Use Comparison with Schools in Your Local Region... 9 How do your schools look on a scatter plot with others from your local region? How do your schools' energy use compare to the average? Are there any outliers or discernible trends? Range of Energy Use by School Type and Heat Source for Your Local Region...10 What medians for energy use will your schools be compared against in this analysis? How do your like schools compare to the medians? Annual Energy Use (kbtu/sq.ft) for Your Schools Which schools are using the least and most energy per square foot? How do they fare against their respective medians? Are there any outliers in terms of electricity/gas usage? Targeting Schools for Further Assessment What strikes you about this conceptual graph? Are there any unusually large boxes or red areas (that need attention)? Where should you focus your energy reduction efforts? Overall Energy Use Index for Local School Districts How does your district fare against its peers in terms of overall energy usage per square foot? Electrical Load Factor What is electricity demand? How is it different than usage? Could monitoring load factor help your district reduce peak demand and lower your electricity bills? Energy Costs At which schools is your district spending the most on energy? Which schools cost the most per square foot? Where should you focus your cost reduction efforts? Change in Energy Use by District How did your district's overall normalized energy consumption change from the base year? Can you point to particular reasons that explain this change? 5

6 Change in Energy Use by School How many schools use less energy now than during the base year? Are there more schools colored in green (better) or red (worse)? Are there any outliers? If so, are they explainable? Change in EPA Portfolio Manager Score by School How many schools scored better now than during the base year? Are there more schools colored in green (better) or red (worse)? Are there any outliers? If so, are they explainable? District-Wide Energy Performance How is your district performing compared to the median with respect to use, cost, and per student? Has your district improved its performance since the base year? Does the preliminary data below the scales look reliable? Change in Energy Use and EPA Portfolio Manager Scores Which schools have improved the most since the base year with respect to these two variables? Which schools have declined? Are there any surprises in terms of which schools have/have not improved? Energy Performance by School Type How do your like schools compare to each other? Can you explain why some are performing better than others? Which ones should be targeted for improvement? Energy Performance by Quartiles How do your schools compare to each other regardless of school type or heat source? Which schools are loaded with circles colored green (best performers) or red (worst performers)? Translating the Numbers into Savings How can your school district approximate its overall opportunity for energy cost savings? How much money could your district justify spending to attain these savings? Calculating Energy Cost Savings Has your district saved on energy costs since the base year? Which schools have saved the most? Have costs gone up at any schools? What is the overall percentage change since the base year? Greenhouse Gas Emissions What are Greenhouse Gases? What is your district's annual carbon footprint? What kinds of human activities account for roughly equivalent GHG emissions as your school district? Energy Performance Charts for Individual Schools How is your school performing compared to the median with respect to use, cost, and per student? Has your school improved its performance since the base year? Does the preliminary data below the scales look reliable? 6

7 Executive Summary This executive summary below is meant to provide a snapshot of your district s performance in this energy benchmarking analysis: The columns to the left provide various metrics for your entire district in both the current and base year. This should help you gauge how your energy consumption/cost has changed since your initial benchmarking analysis. The adjacent column shows your rank against other local districts. This should help you gauge where you stack up among local districts. The boxes to the right compare your current energy cost to the base year and the median across your entire district. The pie chart shows what five percent energy cost savings looks like at your district. The financing example illustrates the amount of project costs that could be financed via the five percent energy cost savings. 7

8 Energy Use Index (kbtu/ Sq.Ft.) Current Energy Use Charts Correlation with Building Characteristics A common misconception about the energy performance is that newer schools built under newer codes are relatively less energy intensive. Similarly, there is a misconception that high schools with their longer hours of operation and their use of gym spaces are considerably more energy intensive than K-8 schools. The graph below illustrates that newer schools use just as much if not more energy per square foot as older ones. Similarly, high schools only use slightly more energy per square foot than K-8 schools. The wide range of energy intensities indicates the magnitude of the effect that good energy managers and operating procedures can have on school energy consumption and costs. 120 Energy Use Index by School Type and Year Built High Schools Middle Schools Elementary School Year Built 8

9 Comparison with Schools in Local Region Annual energy use per square foot, also known as Energy Use Index (EUI), is one of the most common ways to compare energy consumption between buildings. This parameter is all inclusive it incorporates the energy used for heating, cooling, dehumidifying, lights, cooking, computers, etc. and it also normalizes based on building size. The scatter plot below illustrates how your schools compare to the rest of the schools in our database in climate regions like yours. 9

10 Medians for Local Region The following chart shows the range of energy use (kbtu/sq.ft) for K-12 schools in your local area. The blue dash (which is labeled) represents the median for each school type and heat source. The orange dot illustrates where your schools within each particular category fall on the range (if applicable). As noted previously, secondary schools often consume slightly more energy per square foot than elementary schools. 10

11 Comparison with Medians The following chart shows the energy use (kbtu/sq.ft) for each of your K-12 schools. The red and blue bars signify the portions of overall energy use attributable to electricity & natural gas, respectively. The black line represents the median for the particular school type and heat source. 11

12 Targeting Schools for Further Assessment The following conceptual chart shows the energy savings opportunity for each of your K-12 schools. The size of each box indicates the respective square footage of each school, and the color represents its energy performance compared to the median. For example, a large dark red box points to a large school that is consuming significantly more energy per square foot than the median, which would make it an ideal school to target for further assessment. Bottom Performers Median Top Performers 12

13 Comparison with Local School Districts The bar graph below compares your school district s overall energy use (kbtu/sq.ft) to other districts in your immediate local area only. Your district s overall Energy Use Index (EUI) is highlighted in orange. Lower EUI bars indicate lower energy use / better performance. 13

14 Electrical Load Factor By running electrical equipment (lighting, HVAC, cooking, etc.) at your schools, your district is drawing power from the electrical grid this is your demand (kw). The amount of power required by your equipment multiplied by the length of time that it is running equals consumption (kwh). Electrical load factor is an indicator of how steady your demand is over time. Load factor is the ratio of average demand divided by peak demand. A high load factor points to steady demand; a low load factor indicates that demand is significantly higher during some periods ( peak ) than it is during others. Since your electricity bills contain separate charges for energy consumption (kwh) and peak demand (kw), there may be opportunities to cut costs at schools with low load factors by shifting demand during peak hours to periods of otherwise low usage. 14

15 Energy Costs Because the cost of energy fluctuates regularly, it is best to think in terms of energy use (normalized consumption per square foot). However, annual energy cost is another valuable way to decide where to focus your energy efficiency efforts. The chart below displays your district s annual energy cost by school. The red and blue bars signify the portions of overall energy use attributable to electricity & natural gas, respectively. 15

16 Historical Energy Use Charts Change in Energy Use by District The bar graph below shows how the overall Energy Use Index for your school district has changed from the previous benchmarking analysis. Tahoe Truckee USD s overall Energy Use Index is lower now than a few years ago, which indicates less energy use and better overall performance. 16

17 Change in Energy Use by School The graph below shows how the energy use (kbtu/sq.ft) of your schools has changed since the base year. The table below shows the range, average, and median change in total energy, electricity, and natural gas consumption at your schools. Positive percentages indicate energy savings, and negative percentages reflect increased energy use. The table illustrates that your median school in the current year is using seventeen percent less energy per square foot than in the base year. 17

18 Change in EPA Portfolio Manager Score by School The graph below shows how the EPA Portfolio Manager Scores of your schools has changed since the base year. The table below shows the range, average, and median change in EPA Portfolio Manager Scores at your schools. Positive percentages indicate better scores, and negative percentages reflect lower scores. Your median school in the current year is scoring thirteen points better than in the base year. 18

19 Energy Performance Benchmarking Analysis 1 CLEAResult Energy Benchmarks: Energy Use Index (EUI) Also known as site energy, Energy Use Index is one of the most common ways to compare energy consumption between schools. This metric includes twelve months of utility consumption data in units of kbtu, divided by the total square footage of the school. Energy Cost Index (ECI) Potential to reduce energy costs is a prime motivator for investment in energy efficiency upgrades. This metric includes twelve months of utility costs, divided by the total square footage of the school. Energy Cost Index is a simple way to compare how much it costs to operate each of your schools. Energy Cost per Student Another excellent way to compare the cost of operations and maintenance at schools is by student. This metric includes twelve months of utility costs, divided by the number of students enrolled at the school. U.S. EPA ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Rating: Portfolio Manager Rating An online benchmarking tool that uses a mathematical algorithm to rank energy performance on a scale of 1 to 100, Portfolio Manager incorporates both energy consumption data and building characteristics such as number of computers, the presence of cooking facilities, square footage, and location (for weather adjustments) into its calculations. A score of 50 indicates that the school is performing better than half of K-12 schools nationwide. Schools scoring 75 or better may be eligible to apply for the ENERGY STAR Label. The Energy Performance Benchmarking Analysis chart on the following page is an aggregate summary of all the schools in your district. Charts for each individual school in the district are provided in alphabetical order in the Appendix. The top half of the chart consists of a scale for of the energy performance metrics described above. The upper left corner of the chart contains two columns of data. The first column is the median for each energy performance metric (for your particular climate region, school type, and heat source), and the second column is your school s calculated metric for the base and current years. The scales to the right illustrate where your school ranks compared to the median and other schools for each energy performance metric. The median for each performance metric is colored dark blue, while your school(s) base year and current year are colored light blue and orange, respectively. The color-coded scale shows the range of values in our database for each particular energy performance metric. The scale moves from those schools performing well (green) to average (yellow) to poorly (red). Please notice where your school(s) falls on this continuum and whether it has improved performance since the base year. The bottom half of the chart summarizes the building characteristics and energy use/cost data for your school(s). Please keep in mind that flawed input data leads to inaccurate results. 1 This report compares energy use based on utility bills and is not the result of an engineering assessment. The analysis is purely mathematical and is not meant to provide a subjective assessment of how schools are managed or operated. Most of the indicators do not adjust for individual building conditions (such as extended hours of building use, thermal storage systems, or swimming pools), and therefore should be used only as a tool in combination with knowledge of facility operations. 19

20 District-Wide Energy Performance 20

21 Historical Energy Use Table The following table summarizes the change in both Energy Use Index and EPA Portfolio Manager Scores at your schools. The table shows the Energy Use Index and Portfolio Manager Score for both the current and base year, and then the overall percentage change. These schools are sorted in descending order from the greatest energy use reduction (positive percentages). Change in Energy Use Index and EPA Portfolio Manager Scores Buildings are ranked by change in EUI 21

22 Current Energy Use Tables Energy Performance by School Type The following tables summarize the Energy Performance Benchmarking Analysis data for each of your schools. Both tables show four energy performance indicators for each school three calculated benchmarks (Energy Use Index, Energy Cost Index, Energy Cost per Student) and its EPA Portfolio Manager Rating. The table below shows these energy performance indicators grouped by school type, and then sorted from lowest to highest Energy Use Index. The schools listed toward the top of each group are performing better than those listed under them. Even if your school district performs well overall, below average schools can present a great opportunity for savings. Energy Performance Indicators Grouped by School Type Buildings are ranked by Energy Use Index within each school type. 22

23 Energy Performance by Quartiles In the following tables your schools are sorted into quartiles by energy use (kbtu/sq.ft) regardless of school type. The respective performance quartile of each energy performance indicator is indicated by the color of the adjacent circle. This is meant to help you prioritize schools for improvement projects. For example, a school with red dots across the board is performing in the last quartile with respect to each metric, and may be worth targeting for further assessment. Energy Performance Indicators Grouped by Energy Use Index (EUI) 1st Quartile 2nd Quartile 3rd Quartile 4th Quartile 23

24 Translating the Numbers into Savings Although benchmarking does not tell you what specific equipment or building features need to be improved, or how much it will cost to make the improvements, it can help you determine the general magnitude of the opportunities available and on which schools to focus. Comparing the energy performance of your schools is the first step toward improving performance and saving money. Energy efficiency equipment upgrades and operations improvements can have a dramatic financial impact on a school district. The table below illustrates how many budget dollars your school district would save under various savings target scenarios. Potential Energy Cost Savings by Energy Use Quartile Quartiles are represented in green, yellow, orange, and red. More detailed information about the school(s) should be gathered and analyzed in order to verify the magnitude of the opportunities and then move forward with improvement projects. Please refer to the previous page to see which schools belong to each energy use quartile. The table below presents your savings opportunity in a different way, showing how many budget dollars your district would save by reducing energy costs at your schools by 10, 20, or 30 percent. Potential Energy Cost Savings by Percentage Reduction The next step towards realizing these savings is to identify specific energy efficiency opportunities within your school district. Your Program Consultant can help you identify and evaluate energy efficiency opportunities and help you calculate the anticipated cost savings and cash incentives for each energy efficiency measure. 24

25 Calculating Energy Cost Savings The following chart calculates the change in annual energy use and cost for each of your schools. The gross cost change has been adjusted to reflect the current price of utilities at your district. The adjusted cost change reflects how many budget dollars your district saved (or incurred) compared to the base year. The table is sorted by largest percentage reduction in energy consumption. Annual Electricity Use and Cost Savings Compared to the Base Year Annual Gas Use and Cost Savings Compared to the Base Year 25

26 Annual Energy Use and Cost Savings Compared to the Base Year 26

27 Greenhouse Gas Emissions 2 With scientific evidence connecting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activities to global climate change, many school districts are looking to find ways to reduce their carbon footprint. To document progress on this front, districts must first measure the current environmental impact of their schools. This benchmarking analysis accounts for GHG emissions produced by 12 months of electricity and heating fuel (natural gas) consumption. The following table shows your buildings GHG emissions from lowest to highest annual metric tons of carbon dioxide emitted. 2 The information in this section on greenhouses gases was derived in large part from Local Government Operations Protocol for the quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions inventories. 27

28 Energy Efficiency Resources for Schools Program Publicity This program helps publicize your energy efficiency achievements by working with you and your school district communications staff to: Develop and issue press releases at key milestones of program participation, including MOU signing, Master Plan Workshop completion, and project completion; and work with local media outlets to obtain print and electronic placements. Generate newsletter articles/website content/success stories for school districts internal and external audiences. Conduct incentive check presentations at Board meetings and issue press releases with stories and photos of the event. ENERGY STAR Label for Buildings America s desire for environmentally friendly buildings is growing, and superior energy efficiency identified by the ENERGY STAR is a critical element of a green building. Buildings achieving a rating of 75 or higher through EPA s online Portfolio Manager performance rating system are potentially eligible to apply for the ENERGY STAR Building Label. The application process requires that a Professional Engineer visit the building to ensure that energy data is correct and that lighting and ventilation levels are appropriate. ENERGY STAR Labeled buildings are the top performers for energy efficiency nationwide and use about 35 percent less energy than average buildings. Nearly 4,000 buildings in all 50 states have earned the prestigious ENERGY STAR. A number of Professional Engineers throughout the nation have volunteered to provide free ENERGY STAR label certifications for K-12 schools. Please click here to view the list of participating engineers in your area published on the ENERGY STAR website. ENERGY STAR Leaders EPA recognizes school districts and businesses as ENERGY STAR Leaders based on organization-wide, documented improvement in energy performance. To be eligible for recognition as an ENERGY STAR Leader, an organization must reduce its normalized energy use by 10%, 20%, 30% (or more), or achieve an average Portfolio Manager rating of 75 or better across their portfolio of buildings. For assistance with program publicity or ENERGY STAR Award applications, contact your SCORE Program Consultant. For more information on ENERGY STAR Awards, visit EPA s Target Finder Tool for New Buildings The EPA s Target Finder tool enables architects, engineers, and building owners to set energy targets during the design process to meet industry goals for the Architecture 2030 Challenge, the American Institute of Architects' Sustainable Architectural Practice, and ENERGY STAR. Target Finder allows the user to select an ENERGY STAR rating from (or percent energy reduction from an average building), then calculates the energy use intensity for the specified design project. 28

29 Your organization can use Target Finder throughout the design process to rate estimated energy use for design alternatives and trade-offs. Projects designed to achieve a rating of 75 or higher through Target Finder are eligible for Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR certification. For more information, visit The U.S. Green Building Council LEED Rating Systems The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. Energy efficiency comprises 25 percent of all the possible credits in the LEED rating system. For more information on LEED Rating Systems or the U.S. Green Building Council, visit The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) The mission of CHPS is to facilitate the design, construction, and operation of high performance schools. These schools provide environments that are energy and resource efficient, healthy, comfortable, well lit, and containing the amenities for a quality education. CHPS has created a nationally recognized Best Practices Manual, outlining procedures and requirements for achieving a High Performance School. CHPS also offers school recognition programs, school rating programs, staff trainings, conferences, and a number of other resources. Visit for more information. Database for State Incentives for Renewable and Efficiency (DSIRE) DSIRE is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility and federal incentives and policies that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. Established in 1995 and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, DSIRE is an ongoing project of the N.C. Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council. New program summaries are added and existing summaries are updated as the project staff becomes aware of new information. Each program summary included in DSIRE indicates the date on which the program was last updated or verified. Visit for more information. Department of Energy s EnergySmart Schools Program EnergySmart Schools program goals are to upgrade new schools to 50% better than current energy codes and improve existing schools by 30% in the next three years. The program provides information and resources on financing, tools and resources to assist decision makers in planning. The EnergySmart Schools website serves as a repository of resources and best practices for industry professionals, facility managers, and teachers alike. In addition, the website also provides a number of case studies highlighting the successes of schools energy efficiency efforts. Visit www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/energysmartschools/index.html for more information. 29

30 References Innovative Financing Solutions: Finding Money for Your Energy Efficiency Projects A Primer for Public Sector Energy, Facility, and Financial Managers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency s ENERGY STAR Program. US EPA, November Climate and Energy Strategies Guide: Energy Efficiency in K-12 Schools, US EPA, October 2009 ENERGY STAR Cash Flow Opportunity Calculator. US EPA, CFO Calculator Version 1.1 Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS). US DOE Energy Information Administration, /detailed_tables_2003.html. Building Energy Data Book. US DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy,

31 Appendix Energy Performance Charts for Individual Schools 31

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