Point Isabel ISD receives energy honor

PORT ISABEL — The school district here is certainly energy efficient.

And, now they have a $1,000 scholarship to show for it.

Point Isabel Independent School District’s comprehensive energy efficiency project has been honored with the Lasting Legacy Award, given by Schneider Electric.

It is awarded to a top-performing public partner in the state for demonstrating leadership and commitment to energy initiatives that have procured sustained impacts over time.

Point Isabel ISD’s project was selected for saving the district money, helping reduce emissions and promoting a comfortable learning environment for students.

The school district pursued the project as part of a long-term economic growth and sustainability plan after recognizing a long list of deferred maintenance projects due to tight budgets and rising utility costs.

Upgrading the district’s facilities through a conventional design/bid/build process would have created a tremendous burden on the existing budget and would not address expensive energy waste within the district.

Schneider Electric worked with the Point Isabel Independent School District to develop a turnkey energy efficiency solution.

According to the district, the project will generate over $4.5 million in guaranteed energy savings over the life of the project.

The district was able to secure low interest funding through an energy savings performance contract (ESPC) model, which uses projected utility cost savings from the project for funding over longer payback periods.

Schneider Electric applied and processed a lighting rebate to American Electric Power (AEP) through AEP’s standard utility demand reduction program.

The rebate was paid to Point Isabel ISD for $39,512.78, with no shared savings for Schneider Electric.

The project is expected to reduce the Point Isabel Independent School District’s annual energy cost by 36 percent, saving on average $225,319 in annual energy costs with no new taxes or increased fees to residents.

The project will have both a sizable environmental and economic impact on the local community.

Once completed, the project will provide energy efficiency savings equivalent to removing 1,040 cars from the road, planting 1,415 acres of new trees or removing 4,578 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The project is also good for the local economy with a total economic impact of $9.6 million, including 34 new jobs, $4.8 million in additional business revenue and $188,258 in state and local tax revenue.