Media Contact: Scott Reigstad (608) 458-3145
District given Shared Savings Award for energy conservation and being green
MADISON, WI – May 18, 2009 – The Adams Friendship Area School District has received a Shared Savings Award in recognition of significant achievement in energy efficiency and conservation. The award was recently presented to the District by Alliant Energy Strategic Account Manager Joel Erdmann. Shared Savings is an award-winning business energy-efficiency program that the Adams Friendship Area School District participated in to save energy and benefit the environment.
“The Adams Friendship Area School District is very deserving of recognition for the steps it has taken to realize sustainable energy-savings within its operations,” said Chris Schoenherr, Alliant Energy Director of Sales and Strategic Accounts. “We are proud that they are committed to being a green organization and we are pleased to give them our Shared Savings Award.”
The District utilized Shared Savings on a lighting improvement project that saved a significant amount of electricity. High-efficiency lighting was installed, along with occupancy sensors that automatically turn off lights when an area is not in use. The upgrades saved 399,007 kilowatt-hours of electricity and reduced the District’s electric bill by nearly $41,000 annually. In addition, the energy conservation actions positively impacted the environment by decreasing energy use and reducing emissions. The project removes the equivalent greenhouse gas emissions of 52 passenger vehicles from the road or saves enough energy to power 26 average-sized homes for one year.
“We are pleased to be recognized by Alliant Energy for our achievement in energy efficiency,” said Steven LaVallee, District Administrator. “We must set an example for our students about the importance of environmental stewardship, and we also need to show taxpayers that we are spending their dollars wisely. Our schools have worked hard to stretch our energy budget and be environmentally-friendly.”
As with any business, cash is important and paying for the energy-efficiency measures takes upfront dollars before the long-term gains can be realized. That’s where Shared Savings stepped in to assist the District. The program is an initiative that assists industrial, commercial, governmental and agricultural customers with identification and implementation of energy efficiency projects – and invests the capital to finance them.
“I partnered with the District on their energy-efficiency project and it’s clear that they are very committed to wise energy use,” added Erdmann. “The financing available through our Shared Savings program was a perfect fit for getting their project accomplished and they will see dollar savings well into the future.”
The Adams Friendship Area School District, one of the largest employers in Adams County, includes four elementary schools, a middle school and one high school. District staff has received numerous individual awards including the Herb Kohl Teacher Scholarship Award, Daniel O’Sullivan/John Melcher Pupil Services Award, Wisconsin Student Council Advisor of the Year, Health Occupations Instructor of the Year, and the Presidential Award for Math Teacher of the Year.
Through its Shared Savings program, Wisconsin Power and Light Company, an Alliant Energy company, has helped thousands of Wisconsin business, government and farm customers cut energy usage, save money and preserve precious natural resources for over 20 years. More than 2.1 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity have been saved over the last seven years with the program – that’s equal to the energy produced by a 280-megawatt power plant.
Business, government and farm customers interested in the low-cost financing available through WPL’s Shared Savings program are encouraged to visit http://www.alliantenergy.com/sharedsavings or call 1-866-ALLIANT (255-4268) for more information.
