Marysville School District earns award for energy efficiency

The Marysville School District’s commitment to energy efficiency has reaped dividends from the Snohomish County Public Utility District. PUD Commissioner Dave Aldrich attended the Marysville School Board’s June 20 meeting to present the school district with an oversized check for $82,659, an incentive for the energy efficiency features that were incorporated into the design of the Marysville Getchell High School campus.

By Kirk Boxleitner • June 29, 2011 1:02 pm
Marysville Getchell High School custodian Michael Mitchell checks one of the variable frequency drives that’s part of the Marysville Getchell High School campus’ energy efficiency features.
Marysville Getchell High School custodian Michael Mitchell checks one of the variable frequency drives that’s part of the Marysville Getchell High School campus’ energy efficiency features.

MARYSVILLE — The Marysville School District’s commitment to energy efficiency has reaped dividends from the Snohomish County Public Utility District.

PUD Commissioner Dave Aldrich attended the Marysville School Board’s June 20 meeting to present the school district with an oversized check for $82,659, an incentive for the energy efficiency features that were incorporated into the design of the Marysville Getchell High School campus.

“What made this project successful was the close partnership between the school district and the PUD,” said Aldrich, who told the meeting’s attendees that MSD Capital Projects Manager John Bingham, Maintenance Manager Keith Stefanson, and Project Manager and Resource Conservation Manager Mike Brady all deserved credit.

Aldrich likewise praised design team members Cathy Augustin with Coffman Engineers and Ola Jarvegren with DLR Group for their roles in implementing these features, as well as Mary Smith, Ronn Larpenteur, Dena Peel and Ray Burton of PUD.

Among the energy efficiency features that this team incorporated into Marysville Getchell High School were:

• Interior lighting that beats code by 24 percent.

• Interior day lighting features and automatic dimmable ballasts.

• Exterior lighting that utilizes a mix of LED and ceramic metal halide.

• Heating and ventilation measures including variable flow motors and pumps, and vacancy sensors to control fans.

“Collectively, these measures represent nearly 353,000 kilowatt-hours of annual savings, reducing the school district’s electricity bill by $27,705,” Aldrich said. “Our appreciation and thanks go to the Marysville School Board for its supportive vision.”

Aldrich noted the Marysville School District’s longstanding relationship with the PUD to promote energy efficiency, citing the range of energy efficient lighting measures that the school district installed at the Marysville Secondary Options Campus and Grove Elementary School.

Bingham explained that the money the school district received from the PUD would be used to generate more money in turn.

“Rebates like this go into the district’s account for leveraging more grants,” Bingham said. “Many state grants require matching funds, which means we can’t even apply for those unless we can supply our portion. The good thing about this money is that, to a certain extent, it’s self-perpetuating.”