Energy-efficiency vendor proposes no-upfront upgrades for Rainier SD 13 buildings

A vendor presentation to the Rainier SD 13 board outlined an energy-efficiency program that would require no upfront district funds, rely on utility incentives and include retro-commissioning paired with a proprietary scheduling software.

The presenter said the district’s reported annual energy spend is about $170,000 and an assessed building EUI of about 65 indicates meaningful savings opportunity. He described a staged process: a utility-funded on-site analysis, a recommended project designed to fit available rebates, installation at no cost to the district, and using generated savings to pay remaining project costs. "In the other 15 states we're operating, we're reducing energy usage by about, on average, 35%. The higher side, 50 to 60%," the presenter said when describing prior work.

The presenter emphasized that software alone is insufficient without retro-commissioning: "If you got one of the better piano players... but they're playing a piano that's out of tune, it's still not going to sound well," he said, explaining tuning is needed for the software to deliver both comfort and savings. He gave a cited example from Texas where an on-site project paid back much faster than the original two-year projection.

Board members asked about automation and local thermostat overrides; the presenter confirmed the system automates weather- and calendar-driven scheduling but allows local override controls and ongoing human support. He also described an optional post-payback subscription (roughly $500/month, ballpark) to maintain services and support.

The board did not authorize a contract tonight; the presenter said the next step would be a utility-funded on-site analysis to quantify incentives and precise savings.

Provenance: presentation began at the start of the meeting and concluded before the OSAS item.