Schneider Electric addresses ongoing HVAC and controls complaints, says fixes underway; board urged for references

Schneider Electric representatives told the Mount Diablo Unified School District Board of Education on May 14 that work on a districtwide lighting, HVAC and controls contract is nearing closure but acknowledged significant occupant comfort complaints after a software rollout last fall and outlined corrective steps.

Schneider senior program manager Elliot Feldman, vice president Jordan Lerner and operations director Brandon Bedford reviewed the project timeline and scope, saying lighting upgrades (scope 1) achieved substantial completion in January 2024 and HVAC/controls upgrades (scope 2) were substantially complete subject to district review. Schneider said the controls portion fell behind schedule but that a “recovery schedule” is now on track for closure this summer.

Bedford apologized for comfort problems at occupied sites after a late-October 2024 weather shift coincided with a new software integration for variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems. Bedford said the company initially locked thermostats to diagnose and eliminate variables, an action he acknowledged “made the situation worse for the occupants.” Schneider said it found a software bug plus local manufacturer control settings that only became apparent when the software sent commands to the existing manufacturer controls. The vendor said the district’s maintenance staff partnered to reconfigure controls and that thermostats were fully released back to teachers by December.

Schneider also disclosed two notices of investigation from California’s Department of Industrial Relations in August 2024 related to two subcontractors; Schneider said it provided unredacted requested materials and is awaiting DIR actions.

Schneider said it identified and pursued about $10 million in external grant funding on behalf of the district for indoor-air-quality and electric vehicle school-bus infrastructure programs. The company said it was prepared to provide references from other districts that have implemented similar control systems.

Trustees asked detailed technical and project-management questions. Trustee Kount pressed Schneider on why the vendor did not replace legacy controllers rather than integrate with diverse manufacturer controls. Schneider replied that VRF systems require manufacturer-specific local controls to avoid mechanical risk and that the integration challenge arose from the interaction of remote software commands with those local control setups. Trustee Kount said the district wanted contact names at other districts that had successful rollouts; Schneider agreed to provide references.

Schneider said comfort complaints have “significantly reduced” since the March implementation of revised set-point rules (teachers may warm a space to 73°F and cool to 68°F under the district’s updated guidance) and after fixes; the vendor said it is coordinating training, punch walks and closeout activities with district maintenance staff.

The presentation concluded with Schneider emphasizing cost savings realized by securing work earlier in the market cycle and the vendor’s continuing effort to assist the district in identifying grant funding. The board requested follow-up references and the district said it will continue to work with teachers to address any remaining comfort issues.