Denver Public Schools Sustainability Report

Transcription

1 Denver Public Schools Sustainability Report Denver Public Schools Sustainability Office 2800 West 7 th Avenue Denver, CO 80204

2 Executive Summary DPS Sustainability Report Denver Public Schools is making huge strides in its commitment to creating a more sustainable, energy efficient and cost effective learning environment for its most valuable assets: its students. The DPS Sustainability Team consists of various stakeholders across the district, including administrators, technical staff, teachers and students. For the school- year, the programs and work of the Sustainability Team will save the Denver Public School District $1,370,595. The main highlights of this Report include: 1. The introduction of mission, goals, and areas of commitment of the DPS Sustainability Team, including the development of a district-wide conservation and education plan and increasing savings to the district through efficiency measures by 20% by An overview of the cost savings measures initiated by the Team, including a $251,000 reduction in costs for district gas supply, $210,000 in costs savings from a computer hibernation program and $684,000 in rebates and credits from Xcel Energy. 3. Highlights of the conservation and environmental protection measures that have been implemented by the Team, including a commitment to procuring %20 of the district s energy from renewable sources, the reduction of DPS total solid waste amounts by 191 tons through recycling, and the installation of 16 solar arrays across that district that will produce 2.5 million kilowatt hours of clean solar energy. 4. An acknowledgement of the incredible resource and financial support offered by our various partners, including the Governor s Energy Office, Xcel Energy, Namaste Solar, Denver Recycles, and Denver Water. This report outlines the district s sustainability initiatives, projects, partnerships and savings for Mission and Goals The DPS Sustainability Team is committed to reducing the consumption and waste of resources and taxpayer money through the creation and implementation of goals, strategies and tools that promote sustainability across the district. We will accomplish this through actions that reduce resource use, establish clear information, guidelines and accountability, and promote district-wide involvement and ownership of sustainability as a model for everyday education and business. The DPS Sustainability Team operates according to the following goals: 1. The DPS Sustainability Team will increase savings to the District through a variety of reduction and efficiency strategies by 20% by The DPS Sustainability Team will increase the amount of energy used (renewable energy portfolio) by the District from renewable sources to 20% by The DPS Sustainability Team will develop and implement a district-wide conservation and education plan focusing on education, efficiency, effective reporting/accountability, and exceeding building and environmental standards. 4. The DPS Sustainability Team will develop an integrated, concise, district-wide set of sustainability guidelines for all employee groups and students.

3 Areas of Commitment The DPS Sustainability Team focuses its resources around 7 commitments: 1. Acquisition. The DPS Sustainability Team is committed to reducing costs wherever possible through collaboration with our resource vendors. 2. Conservation and Renewables. The DPS Sustainability Team is committed to replacing non-renewable resources with renewable resources whenever possible and practical. 3. Education. The DPS Sustainability Team is committed to the promotion of district-wide involvement and ownership of sustainability as a model for everyday education and business 4. Efficiency. The DPS Sustainability Team is committed to putting resource efficiency and cost savings first in district decision-making around maintenance, procurement, development, design and upgrades. 5. Environmental Impacts. T he DPS Sustainability Team is committed to mitigating the district s impact on the environment whenever and wherever possible. 6. Partnerships. The DPS Sustainability Team is committed to developing partnerships for collaboration and sharing of resources with government agencies, NGOs, and community groups around sustainability issues. 7. Actual and Projected Savings. The DPS Sustainability Team is committed to pursuing cost savings for the district through better decision-making, procurement, rebates and increased efficiency.

4 DPS Sustainability Team Results and Accomplishments Acquisition DPS obtains its gas, water and electricity from a variety of Colorado companies. We are constantly working with utility representatives to obtain the best pricing possible for the district based on accurate analysis of past and future demand. Denver Public Schools purchases a large portion of its district-wide gas from an independent supplier. This year, the DPS Sustainability Team re-negotiated its contract with our supplier, which will immediately and ultimately save the district $251,551. The chart below represents the monthly cost savings from November 2009 through February 2010: Monthly Savings: Based on Contract Re-negotiation $200,000 $158,406 $100,000 $21,717 $38,870 $32,558 $- Nov-09 Dec-09 Jan-10 Feb-10 Although utility rates for our energy/electric and water suppliers are set by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, the DPS Sustainability Team works with representatives from each industry to effectively reduce usage of these resources wherever possible (see Conservation/Renewables and Partnerships sections for more information). Conservation and Renewables The DPS Sustainability Team, in partnership with various organizations outside the district, has aggressively pursued the use of clean energy sources, including solar, wind, and geothermal power, and other renewables where practical and cost effective, as well as the implementation of programs around resource conservation across the district. In December of 2009, DPS entered into a solar power purchase agreement with Oakleaf Energy Partners, Namaste Solar, and MP2 Capital, which will bring solar electricity to sixteen schools across the district. From March through November of 2010, Namaste Solar will be installing 100kW arrays at 15 schools, starting with Green Valley Elementary School, and ending with a 300kW array at the new LEED-certified Evie Garrett Dennis Campus. When all of the DPS systems are complete and online, these solar arrays will be producing

5 approximately 2,500,000 kilowatt hours of clean, renewable solar energy a year! This will save DPS an average of 53 thousand dollars each year, which will be re-invested into important district projects. Additionally, with the construction and completion of the Evie Garrett Dennis Campus, DPS will bring online a large geothermal exchange system, which will support the LEED certification of this campus. Finally, the DPS Sustainability Team has created its own Renewable Energy Portfolio goals. The team is committed to increasing DPS s total percentage of energy from renewable sources to 20% of its total energy use by the year Education The cornerstone of all sustainability work at Denver Public Schools is its impact on the student learning environment. Denver Public Schools has partnered with various community groups and agencies to provide students with opportunities for learning in schools and environmental stewardship in their homes and communities. Denver Public Schools is proud to announce the establishment of the Denver Green School, the district s first school modeled around sustainability concepts, in the fall of This school will be located at 6700 East Virginia Avenue. The Denver Green School s mission is: in partnership with our diverse urban community, the Denver Green School will provide a hands-on, brains-on experience that includes all students, staff, families and community, preparing all learners to lead the way toward a sustainable, bright green future. The DPS Sustainability Team will work with the Denver Green School staff and students to implement model sustainability projects and curriculum. Through a partnership with Denver Recycles, students, teachers and DPS staff have been learning firsthand about the benefits of recycling and solid waste reduction in their schools and homes. Through our partnership with Namaste Solar, DPS students in 16 schools will be participating in an interactive solar energy education program where they will have the opportunity to learn about the technical aspects of solar energy production and monitor their own school energy use over time. Denver Public Schools continues to partner with environmental education groups like Front Range Earth Force, Denver Urban Gardens, and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to provide students with hands-on, diverse opportunities for learning and environmental stewardship. DPS will be working with sustainability educators and experts in 2010 to develop a suite of

6 sustainability-based curricula that will be available on our new Sustainability website: (to be launched in the summer of 2010). Finally, the DPS Sustainability Team is committed to the education of DPS staff around sustainability in the workplace. DPS has implemented a district-wide computer hibernation program that will automatically shut down all computers across the district that are not in use. The hibernation program is projected to save the district approximately $210,000 each year. The Team has also been working with Facility and Maintenance staff to determine and implement strategies for operational savings through best sustainable practices. Efficiency Some of the highest long term cost savings and reductions for the district have come from energy infrastructure upgrades to school buildings. The Denver Public School district was fortunate to be the recipient of a $454 million bond from City and County of Denver voters in the district. In conjunction with all of the necessary functional building needs of the district, bond monies have been used for the installation of energy efficient structures and appliances. Huge cost, energy, water, and gas savings will be realized from the upgrades in lighting, HVAC (heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and cooling), irrigation systems, and windows in schools across the district. Substantial support from the Governor s Energy Office and Xcel Energy has facilitated the completion of energy and lighting audits in many schools in the district. These audits have been used to determine what sort of efficiency upgrades will produce the highest cost and energy savings for each school. Also, the DPS Sustainability Team has partnered with Denver Water to replace all of the district s older high water use fixtures in bathrooms, including toilets, sinks and water fountains, with high efficiency fixtures. So far this year, completed fixture replacements have decreased district water use by 4 million gallons. In conjunction with this fixture replacement, Denver Water is conducting district-wide indoor and outdoor water usage audits in every DPS building. The results of these audits will be used to implement even greater water savings district-wide. Environmental Impacts Beyond cost savings and increased efficiency, the DPS Sustainability Team has implemented several programs which will decrease our impact on the health of the environment. DPS is teaming up with Denver Environmental Health (DEH) and the American Lung Association to implement Engines Off in several schools. This program was developed in response to abnormally high dangerous air pollution levels that were measured at various times and locations near schools. Upon further investigation, it was determined that parents waiting outside of schools in their idling cars were the source of the pollution. Since that discovery, outreach teams have been started at several schools to work on educating parents, students and teachers about the negative health impacts of idling in front of schools. The successful

7 implementation of Engines Off will ultimately protect the health of students and residents in and around our schools. DPS has hugely impacted the health of the environment with its district-wide recycling program. So far this year, the newly implemented recycling program has saved 191 tons of recyclable materials from our landfills. DPS is also substantially decreasing its impact on the environment through our Solar Power Partnership. Once the installation of 16 solar arrays on the roofs of DPS schools is complete, this project will reduce district carbon emissions by over 5 million pounds a year! Partnerships The DPS Sustainability Team has facilitated many important partnerships that will increase our capacity to implement sustainability initiatives that will have far-reaching savings and positive environmental impacts. This year, DPS developed partnerships with Denver Recycles, Denver Water, the City and County of Denver s Greenprint Office, the Governor s Energy Office, Xcel Energy, Oakleaf Energy Partners, Namaste Solar, the American Lung Association, and Denver s Office of Environmental Health. The combination of all of these groups, agencies and resources has greatly increased the Sustainability Team s ability to produce major efficiency results and savings for the district and, ultimately, the taxpayers. Actual and Projected Savings A huge benefit of implementing sustainability initiatives at Denver Public Schools is (and will continue to be) the incredible cost savings realized now and in the future. These cost savings will ultimately support the district in providing better programs and learning environments to its students. So far, in the school-year, the DPS Sustainability Team has saved $684,044, in collaboration with Xcel Energy, from the rigorous application of rebates and tax refunds for various energy efficiency and design projects completed in the district. Additionally, the DPS Sustainability Team has procured $225,000 in Economic Recovery Act and other funds through the Governor s Energy Office for energy audits and efficiency upgrades in various school buildings. The DPS Sustainability Team s re-negotiation of our contract terms with our independent gas supplier will save the district $251,551 over the school-year. The implementation of the district-wide computer hibernation program will save the district approximately $210,000 from energy savings.

8 As of April 2010, the total cost savings realized by Denver Public Schools through the efforts of the Sustainability Team are $1,370,595 for the school year and rising! The DPS Sustainability Team is proud to have secured over one million dollars in cost savings to the district and will work to continue to expand the positive financial benefits of sustainable choices. The Coming Year In the coming school year, the DPS Sustainability Team will continue to aggressively pursue actions and funding consistent with its goals and commitments: In school year, the Team plans to work with district administration, teachers, students and staff to develop a formal Sustainability Plan. Also, the Team will be working with the Environmental Protection Agency to establish energy and carbon benchmarks and goals on all the buildings in the district using the Energy Star Portfolio Manager. The Team will work with teachers, students, sustainability experts and organizations to compile, assess and develop model sustainability curricula and guidelines for classrooms. The Team will continue to work collaboratively with Xcel Energy, the Governor s Energy Office, Denver Water, Denver Recycles and other agencies to implement further conservation and cost saving strategies and programs. Finally, the DPS Sustainability Team will continue to seek out collaboration and partnerships with NGOs, government agencies and community groups to provide the district with a larger array of sustainabilityfocused programs and projects.