"These upgrades are critically important to the future of our schools," remarked David Leeder, Senior Facilities Manager with the School District of Janesville. "Even though we've done a great job maintaining the existing systems, they were not operating as efficiently as they could. We must provide students and staff with a reliable and efficient heating system."

(Pictured: David Leeder, Senior Facilities Manager, Shawn Galvin, Lincoln Elementary School Principal, Greg Ardrey, Board Commissioner/Alliant Energy, Chris Seitz, Focus on Energy, Andrea Fasciano, Helm Group, Brett Mead, Helm Group, Maria Dierking, Helm Group. Not Pictured: Patrick Gasper, School District of Janesville Public Information Officer)

The School District of Janesville received $237,572 from Focus on Energy for installing new boilers and variable frequency drives in six elementary schools. These projects would not have been possible without the community’s support of a $22.5 million referendum in November 2020.

The School District of Janesville comprises 17 school buildings, one of which still had the original boilers from 1958. The typical life expectancy of a boiler is 15-30 years. The boilers in these buildings ranged from 22-62 years old. Not only do replacement parts become difficult to acquire at this age, but they were operating around 70% in energy efficiency and consuming much more natural gas.

Upgrading to hot water condensing boilers with a 90%-plus efficiency rate will allow the District to recycle the unburnt natural gas, instead of going straight out of the building like it did with the previous system. The District also moved to a direct digital control system and installed variable frequency drives on its heat pumps. The improved automation will give the District enhanced control over its buildings' environment, as it can select specific areas to target and adjust the heating and cooling for those individual spaces.

The District worked closely with its Focus on Energy Advisor and Trade Ally, the Helm Group, who were already servicing the existing equipment. Together they made sure the District selected energy-efficient equipment that would qualify for financial incentives. The Helm Group also focused on the automation component to ensure the District had complete control over the new heating equipment.

The following schools in the Janesville School District will benefit from these energy efficiency upgrades:

• Lincoln Elementary School
• Monroe Elementary School
• Madison Elementary School
• Kennedy Elementary School
• Harrison Elementary School
• Van Buren Elementary School

With over 92,500 kilowatt hours and 154,800 therms savings in the first year, the District is estimated to save upwards of $126,000 annually on its utility bills. This is the equivalent of powering 171 homes for an entire year.