West Oso ISD hears Trane presentation on energy upgrades, loan options and stadium power problems

Trane account manager Tony Alvarez presented a preliminary energy survey to the West Oso ISD Board of Trustees, identifying lighting, controls recommissioning, water-conservation measures and HVAC work as the primary energy- and water-saving opportunities across district campuses.

Alvarez said the district’s high school is “18 years old” and recommended a package of lighting upgrades, “controls recommissioning,” water-fixture retrofits and an air-distribution system rebalance to restore design performance and reduce energy use. He told the board that some equipment, like cooling towers, “don’t pay for themselves” because they are repair-or-replace items that do not yield measurable energy savings in the way LED lighting or low-flow fixtures do.

The presentation framed two financing paths: a state-backed, lower-rate program (described in the presentation as the Lone Star/SECO option) and a traditional bank loan. Alvarez showed two illustrative loan scenarios — roughly $1.5 million and $3.0 million — and said the district could see “about $2,000,000 savings … for the district itself for the 15 years” under the model Trane used to estimate savings. He also presented a separate $20,000 proposal for a detailed study and verification work that would be required to qualify for the lower-rate state loan and for any incentive calculations.

Why it matters: the board and staff said capturing utility and maintenance savings is a priority as they balance a tight budget. The presentation tied technical repairs and retrofits to funding choices: measures that produce verifiable energy savings are the kinds of projects the state loan program will accept, while equipment replacements with limited energy payoff are more likely to be financed through bonds or traditional borrowing.

Concerns raised and next steps Board members asked about payback windows and the risk of spending money on facilities that might be replaced. Trustee Oscar Arredondo asked, “When we're looking at investing, let's say, at the junior high, these projects have to pay for themselves within 15 years?” Alvarez confirmed that the state program requires a 15-year payback threshold and that items that will not survive that horizon should be treated as separate items or moved into a bond scenario.

Board members and staff also raised a separate but related operational concern: intermittent voltage spikes and isolated outages at campus athletic facilities that have damaged scoreboards and other equipment. Trustee Shirley Jordan and others described instances when lights or scoreboards failed and questioned whether the district should delay investments in stadium lighting or scoreboards until the source of the spikes is identified. A staff member summarized local troubleshooting: an independent electrician and AEP had both been consulted; “they're saying it's Spectrum” (a local telecom provider) and Spectrum “says it's AEP,” creating a finger-pointing problem for the district. Alvarez said upgraded, warrantied fixtures and controllers could reduce exposure, but the district needs cooperation from AEP and other utilities to address upstream voltage issues before installing expensive new equipment.

Staff actions discussed Alvarez said Trane has provided the district a $20,000 proposal for a detailed engineering study and verification work; district staff told the board they are “ready to sign” that contract and that the $20,000 engagement is between the district and Trane and does not require board action. The board later recessed into closed session and returned without taking action on a separate personnel agenda item.

What remains unresolved Alvarez and staff said the next step is the detailed study required to qualify specific measures for the state loan and for AEP incentives. The state loan program has a limited annual allocation, and applications should be filed promptly; staff stressed that the program’s approval process can be slow but that early application improves chances of inclusion. Alvarez and staff committed to provide the detailed study proposal and to bring results of further coordination with AEP and other utilities back to the board.

Ending District staff said they will circulate the Trane proposal and the study scope to trustees and continue coordinating with AEP and the district facilities committee to identify whether power-quality issues must be resolved before proceeding with major stadium or scoreboard work.