Presenters tell Clarion-Limestone board data loggers show HVAC fixes could fund $1.1 million in upgrades

ABM representatives described results from a month-long series of data-logger readings that they said demonstrate opportunities to reduce energy use and maintenance costs across Clarion-Limestone Area SD facilities. Presenters Richard Phelps and John Isherwood said ABM installed 16 loggers on pumps, motors and room returns to measure temperature, humidity and pneumatic-system cycling.

John Isherwood said the district’s pneumatic HVAC system showed uneven control in several spaces—classrooms, the administration area and the library—particularly after an early cold snap that the presenters treated as a one-off. After discounting the extreme cold period, ABM reported better baseline performance but identified recurring variations that increase energy use and maintenance burden.

Using logged data, ABM revised its earlier projection of 17% energy savings upward to an estimated 23% savings, which the presenters quantified as about $34,000 in annual energy cost reductions. They also estimated about $20,500 in annual operational savings from reduced repairs and maintenance when moving from pneumatic controls to modern direct-digital controls.

Those combined savings, ABM said, could be used to underwrite capital work: the firm proposed a self-funded model in which the district borrows against guaranteed future savings. ABM estimated those savings could support approximately $1.1 million in upgrades, with an illustrative debt-service cost of roughly $55,000 per year. Phelps said ABM’s contract model includes a guarantee: if measured savings fall short, ABM would make an annual payment to “make the district whole” and would collaborate on further measures to raise savings at ABM’s expense.

The presenters outlined procurement options: release a district RFQ (estimated three-month timeline) or hire via a cooperative purchasing contract for speed. They noted no analysis fee for the district, explained potential legal-advertising costs for an RFQ (about $300), and described next steps—procurement, selection, and a menu of measures the district could pick to build the project.

Board members asked about the assumptions behind savings estimates, the treatment of the cold-snap data, and whether the $34,000 figure uses current electricity rates. ABM replied the savings estimate is based on current rates and noted that the dollar value of saved kilowatt-hours would rise if future electricity prices increase. The board did not authorize procurement at this meeting but heard the firm’s recommendations and options for moving forward.