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Dorchester 02 reports EUI gains, eyes stricter appliance rules and faces solar contract hurdles
Summary
Energy staff reported a year-over-year reduction in the district’s energy use intensity and outlined next steps including enforcing personal-appliance restrictions, pursuing LED rebates, and exploring solar options that face legal/contract barriers for on-site projects.
Jennifer Kitros, identified in the meeting as the district’s energy manager, and other facilities staff told the committee on Jan. 13 that the district’s Energy Use Intensity (EUI) was about 7.8 points lower through Sept. 2024 compared with the prior year, reflecting past conservation efforts and completed lighting/HVAC upgrades at some campuses.
Staff explained that EUI aggregates all energy inputs (electricity, natural gas, etc.) into a common unit (kBtu per square foot) and that the district’s recent projects — LED lighting, HVAC upgrades and completed campus projects — are expected to help maintain or reduce energy intensity despite added building square footage from new work. Staff cautioned that code-required ventilation (staff referenced energy code sections 9.1 and 62.1 as the relevant standards) can raise energy use because dedicated outdoor-air systems condition 100% outside air to meet ventilation requirements.
Staff described both behavioral and equipment strategies to save energy. The district’s energy management plan sets thermostat setpoints (cooling: 72°F ±1; heating: 69°F ±1) and limits to personal appliances in classrooms and offices; staff said enforcement has been limited but that stronger implementation could yield savings. One staff member gave an example of doors being propped open on a 32°F morning, saying “That entire hallway was freezing,” to illustrate how behavior undermines efficiency. Staff cited a prior initiative that produced roughly $20,000 in annual savings at one school and gave a back-of-envelope figure that a typical personal refrigerator might cost about $50 per year to operate.
On solar and rebates, staff said the district received about $27,000 last year from district-associated solar and continues to pursue rebates tied to LED conversions. But staff warned that on-site solar installations can face legal and contractual obstacles with utilities: staff described prior work in another county where a utility contract requirement to pay a premium for energy the district provided made on-site installations infeasible. For now, the district is pursuing community solar and available rebates for larger LED projects while continuing to explore on-site options subject to legal/contract review.
Staff said they will revise the energy management plan and bring it back to the board for approval with clearer enforcement steps and more concrete estimates of appliance-related savings.
