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U.S. schools spend more than $6 billion each year on energy: up to 30 percent of it is unnecessary, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s and U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR® program. Yet some simple changes in behaviors and a few cost-effective investments could help the schools reclaim that money.

Here are some lessons from schools that have achieved the ENERGY STAR designation.

Lesson 1: Monitor and track energy usage. ENERGY STAR buildings use 40 percent less energy than average buildings, and cost 40 cents per square foot less to operate than average schools.* Start evaluating your school’s performance with the Portfolio Manager, an interactive energy management tool available at www.energystar.gov. Additionally, be sure to schedule and perform monthly maintenance to protect the efficiency of all HVAC equipment.

Lesson 2: Integrating a building automation system is vital to efficient energy management. With several types of automation systems providing different levels of control, there’s one to meet every school’s need. HVAC equipment driven by digital controllers can be integrated for superior control of system monitoring, diagnostics and remote troubleshooting. Lennox equipment can be integrated with LonTalk® and BACnet® systems integration, using the most popular open, standard protocols for building automation.

Lesson 3: Bring in plenty of fresh air—but only when class is in session. Appropriate ventilation is vital to a healthy learning environment. But introduction of outside air affects the heating and cooling load. Choose a controller that allows not only occupied and unoccupied settings, but also day-unoccupied as well, for when students are at lunch or recess. With this setting, sensors can close outside air dampers while keeping the building at a comfortable temperature.

Lesson 4: Allow for a comfort range. Rather than keeping all classrooms at a single set temperature, provide teachers with limited temperature control of their classrooms. Allowing teachers to raise or lower room temperature by a few degrees can eliminate comfort complaints caused by radiant heat losses or gains through walls and windows.

Lesson 5: Think broadly. While focusing on the HVAC system can provide many opportunities for efficiency improvements, don’t forget to look at equipment that isn’t connected to the building automation system. Hundreds, even thousands, of computers left on after the school day cost schools a significant amount of energy. An off-hours building inspection may turn up several instances of waste that should be communicated to the school’s staff.

These are just a few of the ways energy-conscious school districts can control their operating costs while improving the learning environment. Discover more details online or contact Lennox at 1-800-9-LENNOX.

*EnergyStar.gov