District Looks To 'Green' $11M-A-Year Utility Bill

INDIANAPOLIS -- Education, efficiency and cutting costs are some of the driving factors behind a new "green" commitment from Indianapolis Public Schools.

After salaries and benefits, utilities are the largest budget item for IPS, with the district spending more than $11.7 million on electricity and natural gas in 2008, said spokeswoman Mary Louise Bewley.

More: Going Green Special Section

While work has been done to maximize efficiency in the district's more than 60 buildings, IPS is now partnering with the National Energy Foundation to develop an overall energy conservation program.

"We've been working for several years now trying to improve the efficiency of our buildings with mechanic controls," said Chief of Facilities Management Steve Young. "We've had good success, but we also realized that, in addition to those kind of savings, behavioral changes are needed to be truly energy efficient."

The Energy Action in Schools program, sponsored by Citizens Energy and Indianapolis Power and Light, will focus on ways that everyone, from students to staff, can work together to be more "green."

Eleven schools were chosen to take part in the pilot program:

No. 14 Washington Irving

No. 19 Frederick Douglass

No. 34 Eleanor Skillen

No. 61 Clarence Farrington

No. 67 Stephen Foster

No. 70 Mary E. Nicholson

No. 96 Meredith Nicholson

No. 315 Cold Spring

No. 356 Francis W. Parker

No. 422 Arlington Community High School

No. 616 Key Learning Community River Campus

Students at each school will be guided by teachers and staff to help develop ways to cut down on energy use, and will work to establish Energy Action Patrols, whose members will keep tabs on who is meeting the goals.

At Francis W. Parker Elementary, students rotate weekly to patrol the school, turning off computers, pulling window shades and unplugging unnecessary equipment at the end of the day.

"They have green door hangers that encourage the classrooms that they are doing a good job, or they have yellow ones that are used as a reminder for classrooms that are not being very energy efficient," said Abby Davis, a fourth and fifth grade teacher at the Montessori school, who is heading up the effort.

As part of the pilot program, each school will get $200 for filling out a grant detailing the energy-saving efforts they made, and $200 more if they can show a 10 percent reduction in the school's monthly electric bill.

A large progress graph planned for Francis W. Parker Elementary will show students, teachers and staff how well the school is doing in its quest.

Davis said she thinks the effort will pay off.

"When we started out doing a recycling program three years ago, it really took off and our school does a much better job now," she said. "It is our mission that with this particular project, it will help do the same with energy conservation."

If the district-wide program could shave 10 percent off the energy bills at facility, it could free up more than $1 million to be used elsewhere, Young said.

"One of the things we learned is just letting people know how much it costs to heat or light the building, then they want to find a way to help reduce that," he said. "That 10 percent is something we think we can do, and that would be a very significant savings."

The district is also in talks with Columbus-based engine maker Cummins about the company's Unplugged Initiative, used to save energy when plants are shut down for long periods of time. Young said the program may also work to conserve resources at school buildings during holiday breaks.

More Information:

National Energy Foundation

Indianapolis Public Schools