Douglas County School District: Gardnerville Elementary School Modernization

Background

Utilizing the State of Nevada’s Construction Manager At Risk (CMAR) bidding vehicle, Douglas County School District identified Gardnerville Elementary School as its showcase facility for meeting new district-wide energy efficiency standards. The project, which included lighting upgrades and recommissioning of the energy management system (EMS), achieved an annual energy and cost savings of 15 percent and created a more suitable learning environment for the district’s K-6 students.

The CMAR approach has enabled the District to form a team comprised of the facility owner, architect, and contractor in order to design a modernization master plan for the site, while providing a constructible design within the allotted budget. Construction began in October 2011 and was completed a year later. Gardnerville Elementary School, previously a three-building campus, is now contained within one core building, measuring 60,000 square feet. The project included an addition to the main academic building while also renovating and upgrading the existing facility to create additional classroom space and to maximize efficiency opportunities. During the course of the project, the District also removed a modular building previously used for Special Education, and separated the Heritage Building (a historical building constructed in 1928) from the campus core – turning what used to be a three-building campus into a single improved facility. The district uses the EPA ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool to measure and track the energy performance and cost savings achieved.

*Due to the expansion of the building, overall energy cost increased. However, as a result of the implemented measures, cost per square foot decreased 15 percent annually.

Solutions

The District conducted an energy assessment of the facility in 2007 and implemented a number of energy efficiency projects beginning in 2009 using an Energy Services Performance Contract (ESPC) that included lighting retrofits, daylight harvesting controls, light control sensors, re-commissioning of the EMS system, computer management software, and a trash compaction system. However, additional improvements to the buildings such as upgrades to windows, insulation, lighting, and mechanical equipment were still necessary.

The CMAR construction project, completed in October 2012, incorporated the following energy efficiency measures at Gardnerville Elementary School:

Replaced single pane non-thermally broken windows and frames with 1” Low-E coated insulating glass in thermally-broken frames
Installed rigid insulation at the exterior concrete-masonry unit walls in the two oldest portions of the building
Replaced undersized furnaces and condensing units in the oldest classrooms with correctly sized and efficient units
Replaced insufficient roof insulation on the oldest building with new rigid insulation (R38)
Installation of automatic lighting controls (combination of motion sensors and lighting control panel) and energy efficient 28-watt T-8 lamps located throughout the facility.

In addition to the energy efficiency measures, project costs also included major renovations and remodeling in conjunction with efforts to expand the classroom capacity of the School. Throughout construction, the District employed best practices acquired from previously completed ESPC projects in order to maximize energy efficiency.

Other Benefits

The District’s renovation of Gardnerville Elementary School presented several opportunities to improve campus safety, such as the creation of a front entrance with a direct line of sight from the main office for maximum security. Additionally, two age-appropriate playground areas were established for the Kindergarten and grades 1-6, enabling improved supervision. Separations between bus loading zones and parent pick-up/drop-off locations were also created to alleviate confusion and congestion before and after school hours.

As a result of this expansion effort, the District removed the modular unit housing Special Education, incorporating the program’s needs within the core facility. Additionally, the District is now able to pursue the opportunity to sell or lease the Heritage building, along with its land parcel, in the future to potentially create additional revenue for the District.

Douglas County School District: Gardnerville Elementary School Modernization

ANNUAL ENERGY USE

(Source EUI)

ANNUAL ENERGY COST

ANNUAL WATER USE

ANNUAL WATER COST

ANNUAL PLANT ELECTRICITY USE

ANNUAL PLANT ELECTRICITY COST

IN BUILDING ENERGY USE

IN BUILDING ENERGY COST

ACROSS NETWORK USE

ACROSS NETWORK COST

ANNUAL EMISSIONS

USE

COST

November 4, 2011

April 2, 2012

October, 2012

Proposed aerial view

Douglas County School District: Gardnerville Elementary School Modernization

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November 4, 2011

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Proposed aerial view