Phoenix, Arizona, Oct. 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cartwright Elementary School District (CESD) and energy services company Midstate Energy have embarked on a building revitalization project that will improve energy efficiency, comfort, and health across the district’s facilities. The project will include energy efficiency upgrades, modern building control systems, and air quality control measures to ensure the health and safety of teachers and students. The unexpected and rising expenses from the pandemic have presented pressing challenges for educational leadership, including how to address environmental concerns without straining an already tight budget. Midstate Energy’s Guaranteed Energy Performance Contracting model provided CESD a solution that generates guaranteed energy savings to offset the cost of facility upgrades.
The proposed improvements for CESD include adjustable retrofitted LED lighting to enhance learning environments, water efficiency improvements that reduce consumption, and HVAC upgrades. Along with those upgrades include state-of-the-art building controls, integrated systems, and Solar Photovoltaics that will offset up to 63% of their energy consumption. This all-encompassing facility upgrade project covers 2,160,196 square feet throughout the district’s 28 sites.
A key point of concern for CESD was the building control systems and how they contribute to healthy environments. Midstate Energy’s industry-leading Orchestrate building controls platform not only allows facility managers to adjust energy and diagnose problems remotely, it ties the many building improvements into one integrated system. “Energy conservation is a priority for our superintendent and our governing board, and this partnership works two-fold: it helps cut costs, thereby freeing up funds to enhance student achievement and brings much-needed energy conservation to our school community.” – Dr. Ceci Sanchez, Assistant Superintendent for District Operations.
State-of-the-art bi-polar ionization systems, with advanced air filtration features, were installed to address unique COVID-19 environmental challenges. Although this technology addresses the current pandemic, the long-term benefits of pathogen protection will contribute to CESD’s overall healthy building goals.
This project will benefit Phoenix residents and taxpayers in many ways, including enhancing the learning environment and advancing the district's environmental goals while limiting liability for CESD with Midstate Energy’s guaranteed energy savings. The energy savings, combined with solar production, means over the life of the project, over 400,000,000 KWhs will be saved, which equate to:
- Carbon Dioxide (CO2) sequestered equating to 379,248 acres of forests*
- Decreased CO2 emissions equivalent to 33,510 homes*
- Reduction of CO2 emissions equivalent to 62,739 passenger vehicles*
*Statistics were calculated estimates from www.epa.gov based on the lifespan of the contract kWh savings.
These facility upgrades will not only enhance learning environments, they will generate savings that can be used for improving education. “Our governing board is genuinely thrilled and excited to work with Midstate Energy to provide much-needed energy efficiencies throughout the district, especially bringing solar panels to all our schools. The sustainability of this project will linger past generations of Cartwright students and families. We are grateful our staff brought this project to our attention at our Superintendent’s Listening Tours and are ready to roll up our sleeves to get this done." – Dr. LeeAnn Aguilar-Lawlor, Superintendent.
To learn more about Cartwright Elementary School District, please visit www.csd83.org.
About Midstate Energy:
Midstate Energy, A Veregy Company, is a national Energy Service Company headquartered in Phoenix, AZ. The company has 500+ employees and 30+ years of experienced engineering and project management teams that have upgraded 1000’s of buildings. Midstate Energy provides comprehensive development, design, and engineering services relating to infrastructure upgrades and energy-efficient sustainability solutions for the K-12, healthcare, and municipal markets. Midstate Energy also provides healthy building solutions for the ubiquitous need associated with pandemic response assistance. To learn more about Midstate Energy visit our website at www.veregy.com or contact us 602.452.8746.
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