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Board creates sustainability ad hoc committee; initial focus on energy conservation, behavior changes and solar options
Summary
The board established an ad hoc sustainability committee to identify short-term operations changes and long-term renewable energy strategies after initial briefing showed electricity costs are rising and that behavioral and control fixes could yield near-term savings.
The board heard an initial update on a new ad hoc sustainability committee and its early work to identify energy- and resource-saving opportunities across Harford County Public Schools facilities.
Board member Wade Sewell (committee chair) summarized the first meeting and a proposed mission statement: to provide “informed, actionable recommendations and timely updates” that pursue energy and resource conservation, cost containment and environmental stewardship while preserving educational operations. Committee members so far include board members, the assistant superintendent for operations, principals, and supervisors from technology, facilities, procurement and grants; Sewell said the group intends to include representatives from Harford County government and Parks and Recreation as the work develops.
Sewell said the committee’s near-term priority is cost containment through reducing energy consumption and that many opportunities are behavioral and operational: automatic controls, HVAC balancing, classroom practices such as leaving windows and doors closed when systems operate, and ensuring computers and lights are off when facilities are unoccupied. The committee discussed building automation variability across the inventory and how third-party tenants (for example, Parks and Recreation) generate added utility hours and costs while using school facilities. Sewell proposed exploring contests, school-based point people, student engagement opportunities, and other low-cost behavior-change strategies.
Kathy Mendez (assistant superintendent for operations) said the district previously had a resource-conservation manager position that was cut in 2019 and that current staff are managing energy work as part of broader responsibilities. She said facilities pay utility bills centrally, and the district will work to increase school-level awareness of energy consumption. Mendez confirmed some solar arrays already exist on district buildings under power-purchase agreements; the district does not own all installed systems and must analyze their operations, maintenance and crediting arrangements. Sewell and Mendez also discussed longer-term options such as integrating renewable energy and sustainable design into new construction and leveraging bond-funded projects to pay for systems that reduce operating costs over time.
The committee’s next meeting was scheduled in two weeks; initial workstreams include an audit of simple low-cost operational changes (sensors, scheduling, vacancy controls), review of current solar arrays and power-purchase agreements, outreach to tenant groups about cost-sharing, and a communications plan to raise awareness among building staff and students.
Ending: The board asked for quarterly briefings from the committee and requested documentation of quick wins the district can implement immediately. The committee will quantify baseline usage and tenant impacts and propose short-term steps to reduce consumption.
