Energy Efficiency Improvements at Cortland Enlarged City Central School District

C&S completed the following energy efficiency improvements for the Cortland Enlarged City School District:

Lighting: The project replaced interior and exterior fluorescent, incandescent, and metal halide lighting with new, more efficient LED fixtures. In addition, an advanced lighting control system was installed. This lighting control system reduced runtimes using occupancy sensors throughout the interior of the buildings and uses daylight harvesting to reduce energy usage. The control system enables dimming capabilities, which enables teachers to precisely control the lighting levels in their rooms.

Controls: This measure included a districtwide controls system upgrade that gives district personnel more control over their HVAC equipment and new lighting control system. Innovative control strategies reduced equipment runtime, which saves a significant amount of energy. Additionally, the emergency generators will be included within the new system to enable the district to monitor its performance in times of need.

Chiller Upgrade: A 450-ton chiller at the junior/senior high school was replaced
with a new, more efficient unit.

Domestic Hot Water Heater Replacement: The domestic hot water heater at the junior/senior high school was replaced with a new, more efficient unit, reducing natural gas consumption at the school.

Pump Motor and VFD Replacement: There were two redundant hot water loop pump motors replaced at the junior/senior high school. The new motors are more efficient and have variable frequency drives (VFDs) installed on them to reduce their speed, and consequently energy consumption, when demand for hot water is reduced.

The project received a Silver Engineering Excellence Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies.