Media Contact: Karl Walquist (775) 834-3891

The Washoe County District has earned a $103,119 incentive payment from Sierra Pacific Power Company for energy efficiency upgrades at 10 schools expected to reduce annual energy use by nearly 2 million kilowatt hours.

The school district is receiving the payment through the utility's Sure Bet for Schools program, which rewards schools for investing in energy efficiency.

Incentive payments totaling $226,435 are going to six school districts in northern Nevada, as well as Truckee Meadows Community College, Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village and Western Nevada Community College in Carson City.

Energy efficiency measures implemented by the schools are expected to save up to 3.7 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, or enough energy to serve about 430 households for a year, according to John Hargrove, project manager for Energy Efficiency and Conservation at the utility. 

"Sure Bet for Schools offers a great opportunity for the schools to reduce their energy bills and a way to share information about projects and products,"Hargrove said. 

Following are some of the energy efficiency projects that were implemented by the Washoe County School District:
* Installed 30 vending“misers” at schools throughout the district. These are infrared sensors that switch the machines on when the area is occupied and switch them off at night and on weekends with a periodic power-up to keep the product cold.
* Replaced metal halide lights at Reed High School and Sparks High School with energy saving T-5 fluorescent fixtures and lights. This also allowed better control of the gym lights at Reed High.
* Revised schedules for lighting, heating and cooling systems at North Valleys High School and Spanish Springs High School were implemented.
* Improved outdoor lighting controls at O'Brien and Pine middle schools.
* Reprogrammed outdoor lighting controls and repaired leaks to the pneumatic controls for heating/cooling equipment at Hug High School.
* Installed energy efficiency lights, pump motors and ground source heat pumps at three new schoolsâ€" Cold Springs Middle School, Sepulveda Elementary School and Hall Elementary School
* Upgraded lighting and installed energy efficient pump motors at recently completed additions to North Valleys High School and Spanish Springs High School.

The energy efficiency improvements in Washoe County are expected to reduce the school district's electricity usage by an estimated 1,965,880 kilowatt hours annually.