Uvalde CISD hears $4 million Schneider Electric plan to cut energy costs; board to consider construction May 19

Schneider Electric told the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Board of Trustees on May 5 that a district-wide project centered on upgraded building automation systems and LED lighting could cut energy use about 17% and generate nearly $200,000 in estimated annual utility savings.

The recommendation, presented by Aaron Garcia of Schneider Electric and Ryan Wonder, the company’s project development manager and engineer, would pair new building automation controls with a comprehensive LED lighting retrofit in most district buildings. Schneider estimated total project costs at about $4,000,000 and said the savings could be sufficient to service financing for the work.

The plan matters because district facilities contain control systems the presenters described as “20 years and older” and increasingly difficult to maintain. “The building automation system is a top priority because the air conditioning equipment in the buildings is the number one consumer of energy,” Ryan Wonder said, adding that modern controls prevent HVAC and lighting from running when buildings are unoccupied.

Schneider’s audit, which the company…