May 30, 2012
Jim Faes, Energy Educator
Jefferson Country School District
Golden, Colorado
“Energy accounting is the backbone of the school district’s energy management program. The detail I am able to bring to administrative meetings demonstrates a level of expertise and knowledge that was previously impossible to report on.”
Success of Accouting Experience
“My energy accounting experience has been very successful; for the first time, we have been able to actually know our actual utility expenses, where they are spent, and how they compare to previous years. I have also been able to catch problem areas such as taxes improperly charged to accounts, billing mistakes by the utility provider, estimated bills with huge errors, consumption overruns caused by malfunctioning HVAC equipment and an inactive meter at a site that was still being charged a monthly meter read fee.”
Usefulness
“Cost avoidance with weather correlation has been a revelation in the sense that people in the school district always questioned or doubted our results until I explained cost avoidance and how we compare current data to past data using weather, billing period, rate and facility change inputs. The acceptance by district personnel has changed for the better with this new information.”
Cost Avoidance
“Cost avoidance figures are now distributed to maintenance, custodial, teaching and administrative personnel to help gain support for our energy management program. I meet with maintenance personnel monthly to review current energy data on a site-by-site basis. We trouble shoot reasons for excessive costs or consumption and usually follow-up with a work order to do a site visit.”
Energy Cost Savings as Result of Energy Accounting
“Knowing meter-by-meter data on a monthly basis has honed in to a level that previously was impossible. I am now able to trouble shoot problems at schools and come up with solutions.”
A Better Manager?
“I am no doubt a better energy manager as a result of energy accounting. The energy accounting is the backbone of our school district’s energy management program. Plus, the detail I am able to bring to administrative meetings demonstrates a level of expertise and knowledge that was previously impossible to report on.”