LEXINGTON, N.C.—Lexington City Schools recently announced the beginning of a construction project with Schneider Electric that consists of several components including HVAC and LED lighting improvements to enhance comfort in learning environments and the implementation of STEM learning programs.

The project—which is being is financed through a guaranteed energy savings performance contract—is expected to save the school district more than $5 million in energy costs over the next 19 years.

Due to budget constraints, Lexington City Schools was facing deferred maintenance challenges that caused heating and cooling equipment across the district to fail.

The project will tackle specific issues the district is facing through the implementation of a new chiller at South Lexington that will be properly sized to cool the entire school, as well as five new boilers and a new cooling tower. The project also includes LED lighting upgrades, in addition to a building automation system upgrade, that gives staff the ability to better maintain the temperatures inside their classrooms.

“Providing our students and teachers with facilities they love coming to is at the top of our priority list,” said Dr. Anitra Wells, superintendent, Lexington City Schools, in a statement.

“We’re excited to kick off this partnership with Schneider Electric, which has been instrumental in improving facilities across the state.”

The savings and the broader partnership will also be leveraged to integrate unique STEM learning opportunities into Lexington City Schools through a variety of programs including:

• A behavioral rewards program called Volt Patrol that allows students to monitor power consumption in the school by ensuring lights, computers and more are turned off when they are not in use;
• Sustainable food growth at Southwest Elementary School’s renovated greenhouse. The food grown in the greenhouse will be used in culinary arts classes at the high school;
• A solar picnic table for computer and tablet charging and;
• Job shadowing for high school students with Schneider Electric employees.

“We’re always looking for ways to meet our clients’ needs outside of the traditional infrastructure upgrades, so we have created some really unique experiences we’re bringing to the district to increase STEM awareness,” said Schneider Electric Account Executive Graham Lewis in a statement.

“We’re happy to be welcomed into the Lexington City Schools family and work with students and administrators to help them achieve their goals.”

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COLUMBIA, S.C.—Richland County School District One in Columbia, S.C. is implementing a district-wide comprehensive infrastructure modernization project that will see a savings of $28 million in energy costs over the next two decades.

Facing deferred maintenance on critical infrastructure in several buildings related to aged lighting and outdated HVAC equipment—and to provide healthier and safer learning environments—the school district is partnering with Schneider Electric to implement an energy savings performance contract (ESPC) that will reduce utility and operational costs by 24 percent across 15 district buildings.

Those savings will pay for further upgrades over time, saving taxpayers millions of dollars. As part of the program, Schneider Electric will partner with its local manufacturing facility within the district, employing more than 750 workers, to provide student learning opportunities and further partnerships to help the district.

“Providing a safe, healthy and enjoyable learning environment for our students and teachers is among our top priorities, especially now with new and changing regulations around indoor learning environments,” said Richland School District One Superintendent Dr. Craig Witherspoon, in a statement.

“This program with Schneider Electric will allow us to make needed upgrades to our buildings in a much smarter, more efficient and, most importantly, fiscally responsible way.”

Part of the project aims to tackle indoor air quality by updating the HVAC equipment to efficiently move air, control temperature and increase outdoor air exchange rates. With indoor environment specifications being rolled out by government organizations, the district is laying the groundwork for better control of how air moves through all facilities and designing more specific and improved points of filtration. The changes will allow the district to be responsive to new regulations.

Added Raymond Perkins, Richland School District One Director of Facility Services, “These are upgrades being recommended to all school districts, but it can also be costly to do. We have many needs in addition to air quality, so finding a way to bring all these distinct pieces together made all the difference.”

Schneider Electric will implement modern technologies that will generate savings and, in turn, create a revenue stream to help fund improvements across the district, such as:

• updated HVAC technology for cleaner environments and to regulate fresh outdoor air;
• full district-wide telecommunications overhaul, improving district-wide emergency communications and providing flexibility for distance learning;
• interior and exterior lighting upgrades to bring emergency lighting up to current building code standards;
• replacement and upgrade of critical electrical infrastructure to reduce maintenance time and extend the life of the outdated system;
• upgrade and replacement of water and restroom fixtures to further reduce waste;
• installation of a “smart-plugs” network to manage high-load devices and improve energy efficiency, and;
• building envelope improvements to renew aging buildings to better withstand extreme seasonal weather patterns and increase comfort for students and staff.

“Our innovative solutions and transparent approach to energy infrastructure upgrades will provide tremendous savings for Richland County School District One,” said Justin Shutt, Schneider Electric Business Development Executive, in a statement.

“Plus, as a local employer, Schneider Electric is proud to be supporting the Richland County community by providing long-term cost savings to the school district and boosting the local economy with jobs that support the environment.”

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WASHINGTON, D.C.—To promote discussion and transparency about evolving green initiatives, building technology company arbnco and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recently hosted a series of roundtable discussions with building and energy executives. The event included attendees from companies such as Schneider Electric, Mace, and MetLife Investment Management. The findings of these discussions are featured in arbnco’s just released 2020 Challenges of the Built Environment report. A vital point of the report centers around the importance of energy programs that touch upon the human experience, rather than too large a focus on energy and cost savings.

“There are many barriers to overcome to effectively manage energy use and human experience including a lack of data, incentivizing feedback, as well as determining the best way to quantify the human experience,” said arbnco Chief Product Officer Brian Van Buskirk. “There has also been a dramatic increase in the amount of options building managers now have, which makes it difficult to select the right technology for customer needs. There needs to be a roadmap to choosing the right technology. These discussions further highlighted these barriers, and shone a light on the need for more streamlined solutions, collaboration and continued innovation and conversation.”

Gathering human experience data has long been lacking in the building optimization industry because programs often overlook occupant feedback and wellness when determining building performance. But with increased digitization services, it is now easier to collect this data. However, there is a common concern about ensuring occupants are motivated to care about their building health and experience and share their feedback.

Another theme of the report highlights the importance of real-time data usage rather than following regulation and compliance. The recurring topic was echoed by Paul D’Alto, Managing Architect at MetLife Investment Management, who stated, “PropTech is exploding, but how do you find the right technology that works for you? Finding the correct data has to be a personal experience, but there are currently challenges to get there.”

One method discussed to invigorate occupant participation, as well as customized solutions, is through involvement in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), arc scoring, and monitoring data. With these methods, managers move past regulations and make adjustments to fit their occupants and building needs. While regulation and compliance are essential, the ability to monitor trends in real-time allows a more personalized approach to building management.

The report also provides more insight from key executives on the opportunities and roadblocks to more sustainable smart buildings. As technology evolves, arbnco will continue to hold discussions with key industry leaders to uncover ways to improve and innovate programs both in the US and UK.

arbnco is a pioneering software simulation company that partners with leading research bodies to develop and deliver scalable, global, and disruptive software solutions to the world’s largest commercial real estate owners and managers.

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LA VILLA, Texas – La Villa Independent School District (ISD) in Texas has announced the kickoff of a comprehensive energy efficiency project with energy and sustainability expert Schneider Electric. This project will improve performance of the district’s facilities, as well as air conditioning comfort and lighting in the learning environment and further reduce energy costs and carbon emissions. Once completed, the district will reduce utility expenditures by 30 percent, totaling more than $2,840,501 in guaranteed energy savings over the next 15 years.

In recent years, La Villa ISD has been challenged with increasing energy and operational costs due to aging infrastructure that was consuming increasing amounts of energy over time. Thanks to an energy efficiency project with Schneider Electric, La Villa ISD is now able to install modern LED lighting, building controls, and heating and air conditioning equipment throughout the district without being a financial burden for the community. This project is largely financed by the state Comptroller’s Texas LoanSTAR Revolving Loan Program. The district will be able to repay the low-interest loan from the energy cost savings realized by the project. La Villa ISD will save on energy and maintenance expenses annually over the life of the project, while simultaneously streamlining district operations and enhancing the student experience and classroom learning environment.

“Our mission is to help districts like La Villa ISD achieve their energy savings and sustainability goals, which provides superior learning environments for students and helps districts do their part for a more sustainable future,” said Tammy Fulop, Vice President of Energy and Sustainability Services at Schneider Electric. “We are proud to bring energy efficiency improvements to La Villa ISD.”

The latest project phase includes renovations that will be made to all of the district’s facilities to create an enhanced learning environment. Improvements include a variety of energy efficiency upgrades such as:

Enhancing indoor and outdoor lighting with LED technology; Replacing outdated heating and air conditioning equipment; Providing a comprehensive building automation system; Optimizing copier, projector, water cooler and vending machine equipment run time with Wi-Fi plug load controllers.

In addition to energy cost savings, the La Villa ISD project will have a sizable environmental impact on the local community. Once completed, the project will provide energy efficiency savings equivalent to removing 156 cars from the road, planting 866 new trees or removing 736 tons of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

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RAINSVILLE, Ala.—DeKalb County Schools is working with Schneider Electric to modernize the school district’s infrastructure with a comprehensive security solution.

The project includes vast improvements to the school’s security systems including keycards, brighter lighting, video monitoring and the addition of vestibules to school entryways. It also includes general facility upgrades to modernize the district, including new and improved LED lighting, water conservation methods and building envelope that will improve energy efficiency in order to reduce energy and operational costs by 29 percent. The $9.9 million project is expected to deliver more than $430,000 in projected energy savings annually.

Prior to the project, DeKalb County Schools were relying on legacy infrastructure and outdated security systems due to budget constraints. Working with Schneider Electric, the district will enhance the safety of faculty, students and parents with updated facilities that operate with cutting-edge technologies. The district is paying for the upgrades through a capital recovery and reinvestment program with Schneider Electric that limits the need for outside funding. Increasing efficiencies through these infrastructure improvements allows the school district to put more money towards its safety and security efforts.

“Safety and security have always been a top priority here at DeKalb County Schools but aren’t always a reality for many districts like ours that face funding challenges,” said Dr. Jason Barnett, Superintendent of DeKalb County Schools.

“Keeping our students and faculty safe from harm allows them to prioritize school work and education without having to second guess the school’s security measures.”

The new security solution will also take advantage of both networked and physical security improvements. It will include 17 buildings within the school district and modernize access points across entryways at each of them. DeKalb County Schools has also placed new gates and fencing around parking lots to control human and vehicle traffic. The full spectrum of solutions includes:

• new keycards with unique permissions for each cardholder, including teachers, custodians and coaches. Keycards allow the controller to quickly and easily remove access when keycards are lost or stolen.
• updated gates and fencing with networked solutions to control vehicle flow on campus.
• canopies over some sidewalks to redirect traffic more efficiently and allow students to safely move between school buildings.
• video monitoring with cameras at different access points with recording capabilities and the ability to connect with the sheriff’s department.
• two-way conversation audio systems to speak with visitors before they may enter school facilities
• addition of vestibules with glass viewing walls inside the schools, using airlocks and blast proof glass.

“DeKalb County Schools is committed to providing the safest environments for its students and we are happy to work with the district to put parents, students and faculty at ease with security concerns,” said Schneider Electric Vice President Tammy Fulop.

“It’s rewarding to feel that students are safe when they arrive to school and can focus on the hard work of learning to become America’s next generation of leaders.”

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A new study commissioned by Andover-headquartered Schneider Electric shows that facility managers are looking to leverage the Internet of Things (IoT) by implementing new digital technologies to improve building performance. Eighty-nine percent of respondents said they expect to achieve a return on IoT investments such as intelligent analytics to improve maintenance decisions and operations within three years. Seventy percent of respondents think that IoT will shape their building and maintenance policies in a year’s time — a direct result of the facility manager’s ability to measure success using digital technologies.

“To make the most of building systems, forward thinking facility managers are making a shift toward predictive thinking and taking proactive approaches to maintenance that enhance both operations and energy efficiency,” said Brian Ratcliff, U.S. EcoBuildings services director for Schneider Electric, in a statement. “As the adoption of analytics and IoT becomes more regular, the use of digital technologies for predictive building maintenance will continue to expand, with steadily increasing ROI through the coming years.”

While the study found more than 90 percent of respondents believe connecting systems to the internet ensures smart, productive and profitable operations that provide better value and maximize energy and sustainability, only 15 percent of respondents said they fully use predictive maintenance tools. Similarly, only 35 percent said they have a proactive approach to building system maintenance by conducting regular preventative maintenance on equipment. The other half of facility managers described themselves as reactive.

Regardless, the interest in new technologies and connected services continues to rise with 42 percent of respondents saying they are very interested in using an analytics-managed service to plan effective building maintenance. It seems most are just scratching the service though, with only 32 percent of respondents saying they have analytics solutions in place. And only one third of those who say they fully use predictive maintenance tools have adopted analytics.

The main barrier blocking facility managers from achieving building maintenance goals is the investment (according to 43 percent), while 23 percent of respondents indicated a lack of internal resources available to interpret the data was a key barrier. The study, conducted by Morar Consulting, surveyed 300 U.S. facility directors and managers as well as operations, maintenance and energy personnel in January 2017.

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Each year, technologies become greater and more advanced, and 2017 will be no different. With the New Year upon us, here are five building management trends that will only continue to advance the school construction industry.

Mobilization

In 2007, Apple amazed us with the iPhone, we could not believe how much was possible with this amazing device in the palm of our hands. But each year, new innovation is added to this ecosystem, both hardware and software, which allows us to be more and more productive. This mobilization trend is happening in the building services space too for both building managers and occupants. Building managers can now not only monitor the status of a building from a mobile platform, but they can also actively command and control the critical infrastructure anywhere, anytime.

Internet of Things

Connectivity used to be expensive. The cost of putting wired IP or wireless IP connectivity into edge devices was too costly for customers and integrators. In the last couple years, we have seen an explosion in the number of devices connected directly to the Internet. You only need to check your home Wi-Fi router to see how many devices are now connected in your own house; the growth has been exponential. This increased level of connectivity enables new use cases for greater building efficiency. Information about the building performance and energy can be delivered to cloud-based technology with ease. Automated Fault Detection & Diagnostics (aFDD) can show users how a building is performing and, more importantly, what the real-time costs are today.

Cybersecurity

Being safe on the Internet has been a priority for surfers for many years, but as the Internet moves into its next phase of development, we are connecting more and more devices — devices that will communicate with each other, not humans. This creates an increased web of wide connectivity that could leave buildings vulnerable if the correct architecture and operating procedures are not adhered to. As regulation around data protection and network security has grown in the public, finance and health care sectors, it will grow in the connected building space, too. These rules are imperative to ensure building owners and occupants will get the facility they need coupled with a high level of security and safety.

IT/OT Convergence

We’ve seen some great examples of Information Technology and Operational Technology (IT/OT) convergence over the last few years. Uber took one of the oldest technologies on the planet (transportation) and merged with modern mobile-based innovation. GPS, mobile payments and an intuitive interface deliver a user experience that is unrivaled and has caused major disruption to that industry. Now, let’s use some of that thinking with building technologies. How could merging the IT/OT world make life easier for a patient in a hospital, a student in university or a guest in a hotel? Some examples of this technology are on the market today, but we are only just getting started.

Robotics

Every science fiction film contains a robot that performs a task a human would normally perform. This has been the bedrock of sci-fi for decades, pushing writers and directors to think of even more creative ways to show the value of robotics in the home and workplace. One of the most obvious and widely commercialized robotic examples in the home are the vacuum cleaner devices we’ve seen emerge over the past eight years. As expected with this technology, price has decreased and functionality has increased, following the rules of Moore’s Law. Today, we are seeing robots that can mow the lawn, plow snow and even patrol a facility as a security guard. As autonomous cars become a reality over the next couple of years we’ll see lots of devices being introduced in to buildings to perform functions that humans would prefer not to do.

Robert Hemmerdinger is the director of Business Development for Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management and automation.

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