|
|
|
Tough economic times have forced Americans into rethinking how they operate. This is especially true of corporations, local governments, small businesses and school districts. A growing money-saving trend is energy conservation.
On Dec. 6, Dodge City and Ford County commissioners passed energy conservation resolutions which committed them to developing long- and short-term strategies for conserving energy.
“Now we have formed energy conservation committees with the county and city,” Joint Energy Manager Morris Reeves said last Tuesday. “And they are working with drafting energy conservation guidelines.”
He said those guidelines will make it back to city and county supervisors in January or early February.
The purpose of the guidelines is to help the City of Dodge City and Ford County conserve energy, and thereby save money.
“We need to do a better job at the energy conservation we have,” Reeves said. “The literature tells us we can save three to five percent on energy bills.”
Simple steps can be taken to establish guidelines that can turn those three to five percent savings into reality.
Some of these steps include:
• Turning off lights.
• Turning of computer monitors.
• Upgrading control systems on heating and air conditioning units to recommended thermostat settings.
The energy conservation committees are also studying current energy usage patterns within Ford County and Dodge City.
“We’re keeping records on all of our energy consumption, including fuel, which establishes a baseline,” Reeves said. “And we’ll be able to compare year to year as we go down the road, which will be effective as far as decision making is concerned.”
On July 21, city commissioners approved an agreement with the Kansas Corporation Commission which resulted in a two-year $170,000 grant that allowed the commission to hire a joint energy manager who would evaluate energy usage and utility bills for Dodge City, Ford County and USD 443.
Reeves filled that position. And since then, his work with USD 443 has paid off.
For instance, USD 443’s Board of Education approved a plan to install geothermal heating at Northwest Elementary.
Reeves said after that project is up and running it will save the district $20,000 to $30,000 in utility costs each year.
“It’s going to be a good project,” he said.
USD 443’s student population has grown, which means operating costs increase. One way to hold the line, Reeves said, is energy conservation.
“We’ve shown some considerable energy savings with the school district and maintained a level of energy consumption which goes back six years,” he said. “And at the same time, we’ve added over 200 tons of AC to the system and we’re not using any more kilowatts than six years ago.”
Reeves said energy conservation is a growing part of the corporate atmosphere and it’s only natural that USD 443, Ford County and Dodge City would team up and strive toward that purpose.
“It’s a good way to move with the city and county,” he said. “You need the commitment of the leadership.”
Once drafted and approved, guidelines will be distributed throughout the organizations and will provide staff with guidance in how to conserve energy.
Tough economic times have forced Americans into rethinking how they operate. This is especially true of corporations, local governments, small businesses and school districts. A growing money-saving trend is energy conservation.
On Dec. 6, Dodge City and Ford County commissioners passed energy conservation resolutions which committed them to developing long- and short-term strategies for conserving energy.
“Now we have formed energy conservation committees with the county and city,” Joint Energy Manager Morris Reeves said last Tuesday. “And they are working with drafting energy conservation guidelines.”
He said those guidelines will make it back to city and county supervisors in January or early February.
The purpose of the guidelines is to help the City of Dodge City and Ford County conserve energy, and thereby save money.
“We need to do a better job at the energy conservation we have,” Reeves said. “The literature tells us we can save three to five percent on energy bills.”
Simple steps can be taken to establish guidelines that can turn those three to five percent savings into reality.
Some of these steps include:
• Turning off lights.
• Turning of computer monitors.
• Upgrading control systems on heating and air conditioning units to recommended thermostat settings.
The energy conservation committees are also studying current energy usage patterns within Ford County and Dodge City.
“We’re keeping records on all of our energy consumption, including fuel, which establishes a baseline,” Reeves said. “And we’ll be able to compare year to year as we go down the road, which will be effective as far as decision making is concerned.”
On July 21, city commissioners approved an agreement with the Kansas Corporation Commission which resulted in a two-year $170,000 grant that allowed the commission to hire a joint energy manager who would evaluate energy usage and utility bills for Dodge City, Ford County and USD 443.
Reeves filled that position. And since then, his work with USD 443 has paid off.
For instance, USD 443’s Board of Education approved a plan to install geothermal heating at Northwest Elementary.
Reeves said after that project is up and running it will save the district $20,000 to $30,000 in utility costs each year.
“It’s going to be a good project,” he said.
USD 443’s student population has grown, which means operating costs increase. One way to hold the line, Reeves said, is energy conservation.
“We’ve shown some considerable energy savings with the school district and maintained a level of energy consumption which goes back six years,” he said. “And at the same time, we’ve added over 200 tons of AC to the system and we’re not using any more kilowatts than six years ago.”
Reeves said energy conservation is a growing part of the corporate atmosphere and it’s only natural that USD 443, Ford County and Dodge City would team up and strive toward that purpose.
“It’s a good way to move with the city and county,” he said. “You need the commitment of the leadership.”
Once drafted and approved, guidelines will be distributed throughout the organizations and will provide staff with guidance in how to conserve energy.
