Anne Arundel County Public Schools: Fort Smallwood Facilities Directorate Building
Background
The Fort Smallwood Facilities Directorate is one of 12 administrative buildings in the Anne Arundel County Public School (AACPS) District located in Maryland. The district implemented a number of energy conservation measures (ECMs) including lighting upgrades, energy management equipment, and water-efficient fixtures. The project achieved an annual energy savings of 18 percent and annual cost savings of over $33,000.
Anne Arundel County Public Schools is the fifth-largest public-school district in Maryland with 125 schools, serving a student population of 82,000 and a building portfolio of 13.8 million square feet.
Solutions
The measures installed in the facility included a conversion to T-8 lighting and occupancy sensors, in addition to upgraded water efficiency fixtures.
Below is a list of the various savings measures, costs incurred and estimated savings expected upon the project’s conclusion.
Savings Measure | Cost | Savings Achieved | Notes |
T-8 lighting retrofit and occupancy sensors throughout the building | $110, 219 | Over $88,000 in utility rebates and approx. 8% annual savings on energy bills | Project completed summer 2013. Annual simple payback was just over 1 year. |
Water efficiency fixtures in men’s bathroom | $5,000
| Average monthly savings of $30 (17%) | Includes sinks, faucets, flush-valves, associated parts (materials and labor). Project completed winter of 2015-16. |
Other Benefits
In addition to the ECMs, the district also installed a 1.4 MW ground-mounted solar farm consisting of nearly 4,000 panels which was funded as part of a district power purchase agreement at zero cost to the district. AACPS will purchase the generated electricity at a discounted rate of $0.055 per kWh. The system is expected to produce almost 2,000 MWh of electricity, returning a savings of nearly $1.8 million over the 20-year life of the agreement.
A 2016 report identified Anne Arundel County as one of the top five Maryland counties with the most potential for benefit from a solar project – including the creation of more than 100 jobs and cost savings of approximately $1 million over a 30-year period.
Image Gallery
Fort Smallwood Solar Array
Fort Smallwood Facilities Building
