Policy 3990-1

Facilities - Purpose

Maintenance - Energy Conservation

Reviewed and affirmed by the Board:  1/26/2010
Last Revision: 
Original publish date: 
Related policies & regulations:  3970-1
Legal references:  

  

The total Lincoln Public School District plan for energy conservation is designed for each individual facility. Because each facility has a different use pattern, has a different type of construction, has a differently designed heating and ventilating system, may or may not have been recently renovated, each has its own heat gain and loss characteristics. Due to these different physical conditions and outside weather conditions, the time required to change the temperature from a minimum to an appropriate level varies in each building, making it impossible to establish a uniform District-wide start-up and set-back time.

1. Long-Range Plans
   • Renovation of existing and the designing of new buildings shall include concepts stressing low energy consumption.
   • Energy monitoring and control equipment shall be installed in District buildings, when cost effective, for energy conservation.
   • Lighting wattage shall be reduced and high intensity or more efficient lighting equipment shall be installed and used as a long-range replacement program.
2. General Energy Conservation Operating Procedures
   • Space Heating
     1. Space heating in District buildings shall be set according to the following temperatures whenever practical:
        • Elementary 
          • Occupied 70
          • Unoccupied 55
        • Secondary/Support
          •  Occupied 70
          •  Unoccupied 55
   • Space Cooling
     1. Space cooling in the District buildings equipped with air conditioning shall be set according to the following temperatures:
        • Elementary
          • Occupied 74
          • Unoccupied Shutoff
        • Secondary/Support
          • Occupied 74
          • Unoccupied Shutoff
3. Ventilation
   • Ventilation Equipment – Exhaust fans and ventilation fans shall be operated ½ hour after the beginning of the first class of the day and turned off ½ hour before the end of the last class of the day except in locations where greater use is necessary.
   • Doors – Building doors shall be kept closed when boilers or air conditioners are operating to ensure maximum temperature comfort within the building.  Outside door holders shall be removed to insure that doors are kept closed.
   • Windows – Windows shall be kept closed when heating or cooling equipment is operating.  Also, efforts to adjust shades and blinds shall be recommended in order to make optimum use of solar heat gain and natural lighting.
   • Traffic Patterns – Efforts shall be made to establish efficient traffic patterns into and out of buildings to minimize the use of outside doors during the operation of heating and cooling equipment.
   • An aggressive program of maintenance and repair of all heating and cooling equipment shall be implemented to insure peak operating efficiency.
   • A program of in-service training for District staff members in general, and custodial and maintenance staff in particular, shall be used to insure efficient operation of equipment and attention to energy conservation practices.
   • One boiler shall be operated when oil is used for heating unless it positively cannot handle the load.
   • Principals and teachers shall report malfunctions of equipment rather than attempting to alleviate them.
4. Electricity
   • Lighting shall be reduced in non-critical areas such as hallways, courtyards, grounds and ornamental areas (spots, display cases, etc.) where feasible.
   • Electric heaters shall not be used.
   • Custodians shall light only the areas in which they are working during evening custodial hours.
   • Individual responsibility for light control shall remain with staff persons using the room or area.
   • All equipment which is not in use shall be disconnected or switched off to reduce electrical load.
   • Electric motors shall be kept clean.
   • Light fixtures shall be cleaned inside and out on a regular basis.
5. Water/Sewer
   • Water conservation shall be practiced at all times and leaks should be reported for repairs immediately.
   • Lavatory and shower hot water temperatures shall be set at 105 degrees.
   • Hot water used for sanitation purposes in cafeteria areas shall not exceed 180 degrees.
   • Lavatory and shower flow rates shall be limited to three gallons per minute or less.
   • Swimming pools shall be maintained at 80 degrees.
6. Community Use of Buildings
   • Building use by community groups shall not be discouraged or curtailed except by user choice.
   • Provisions shall be made in selected areas of buildings where heating or cooling can be supplied to limited areas for after-hour building uses.
7. Closing of Schools
   • School shall be dismissed when there is less than a two-day supply of oil available and resupply is not guaranteed. Buildings shall be operated at the lowest temperature possible to avoid immediate damage.
8. Reports
   • Energy consumption data shall be collected and analyzed on a school-by-school basis.
   • Energy reports shall be made available upon request to the Business Affairs Office.