Black River Falls, WI – Focus on Energy, We Energies, Black River Falls Municipal Utilities, and WPPI Energy combined to give the School District of Black River Falls more than $50,000 in financial incentives last week for district-wide energy efficiency projects.
In May of 2018, the school district undertook a comprehensive lighting initiative, replacing each system in the district with energy-efficient LED bulbs. The district also invested in variable frequency drives (VFDs) to more efficiently heat and cool the high school gym and the middle school natatorium. Upper 90 Energy, LLC – a Focus on Energy Trade Ally contractor – worked to ensure the projects met Focus on Energy requirements for efficiency.
“Over the past 16 years, the Focus on Energy program has played an important role [in] helping the District become more efficient from not only an environmental standpoint but also in an economic manner,” said Jill Collins, Director of Business Services for the School District of Black River Falls. “Energy Advisor David Voss has worked with us every step of the way, from identifying incentive opportunities to discussing strategies and opportunities for continuous facility improvement.”
The district is a gas customer of We Energies and an electrical customer of Black River Falls Municipal Utilities, a member of WPPI Energy. Those utilities are among the 107 statewide that fund the Focus on Energy program, making their ratepayers eligible for the energy expertise and financial incentives Focus on Energy provides.
The lighting and heating and cooling projects earned the school district a $36,474 financial incentive from Focus on Energy and a $13,845 bonus incentive from Black River Falls Municipal Utility and WPPI.
The upgrades will save the School District of Black River Falls 346,120-kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity and 16,648 Therms of natural gas in the first year alone. That is enough electrical energy to power 53 Wisconsin homes for an entire year and equates to $50,560 in annual energy savings for the district. Those savings, combined with the incentive checks, mean the energy-efficient equipment the school district purchased should pay for itself in five years.
“The School District of Black River Falls has made definite improvements on its journey to becoming more energy efficient,” said David Voss, Energy Advisor for Focus on Energy’s Agriculture, Schools and Government Program. “Since the District continues to make energy efficiency a priority, it has been able to enhance the quality of its learning environments and provide a beneficial experience for students, staff and the community.”
The most recent independent evaluation found every $1 invested in Focus on Energy programs creates $5.93 in benefits for Wisconsin, including economic benefits, reduced energy costs, and reduced pollution.
About Focus on Energy
Focus on Energy is Wisconsin utilities' statewide energy efficiency and renewable resource program funded by the state's investor-owned energy utilities and participating municipal and electric cooperative utilities. Focus on Energy works with eligible Wisconsin residents and businesses to install cost-effective energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Focus on Energy information, resources and financial incentives help to implement projects that otherwise would not be completed. Its efforts help Wisconsin residents and businesses manage rising energy costs, promote in-state economic development, protect our environment and control Wisconsin's growing demand for electricity and natural gas. For more information call 800.762.7077 or visit focusonenergy.com.
