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Warren County Schools weigh $975,000 LED upgrade for five athletic fields as TVA rebate window narrows
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Summary
School officials presented a $975,007.10 proposal from ESG to replace lighting at five sports fields, citing unusually large TVA rebates and annual energy savings of about $25,000–$35,000; the board discussed financing and procurement options and a motion to accept the contract was made but no vote is recorded in the transcript.
Warren County school staff presented a proposal to replace lighting at five district athletic fields with LED fixtures and remote control technology, citing unusually large rebates from the Tennessee Valley Authority and an expected energy savings of roughly $25,000 to $35,000 per year.
The proposal from ESG listed an all-fields price of $975,007.10 and included a one-time TVA rebate of about $130,000, the presenter said. The package would cover labor, materials, equipment lifts, disposal and recycling of the old lights, permits and supervision; it includes a 10-year parts warranty and a one-year workmanship warranty.
District staff said the work would be funded from next year’s capital projects budget in the district’s maintenance dollars (the presenter referenced the district’s $10,000,000 maintenance/projects pool). The presenter also said the contractor inspected existing poles and recommended reusing them to reduce cost. The district would reuse existing wiring and distribution where possible to lower the price.
Board members asked about procurement and timing. Staff said ESG is a TIPS vendor with whom the district has worked before on energy projects and recommended not breaking the work into single-field contracts, saying unit prices would be higher and smaller scoped work would reduce the available TVA rebate.
The presenter warned the TVA rebate is likely to decline in future years: “It’s as high as it’s ever been, and so, I feel like if we’re gonna take advantage of it, now is the time,” the presenter said. Board members also noted the overall price is substantial and raised questions about staging the project across fiscal years.
A motion was requested to accept the ESG contract for the sports-field lighting project. The transcript records a motion being called for, but the vote outcome is not recorded in the provided transcript excerpt.
