Keeping the heat on is elementary

A boiler or furnace breakdown in the middle of winter is never pleasant. But in an elementary school, it could become a critical problem, even an emergency. Ken Niven’s job is to make sure this never happens.

In 2010, it was identified that four elementary schools in the Coquitlam district had boilers beyond their useful lives and Niven, the school district’s assistant director of operations, put a plan in place to upgrade them.

“We were looking at major costs to maintain the systems,” stated Niven. “It was time to replace the equipment for that very reason. We also wanted to reduce our carbon footprint and lower our energy costs.”

Niven was tasked with implementing projects that would have the greatest impact. “We started with the low-lying fruit, and after that, we made decisions based on where we are going to find the most energy savings.”

When the project was put out to tender, Niven analyzed many factors to make his decision. An important one was the incentives offer by FortisBC’s Light Commercial ENERGY STAR® Boiler Program. He had first heard about the program at an energy seminar and when the school’s consultant, Rocky Point Engineering, suggested it, Niven recognized it as a good option.

Most of the work took place during the summer when the schools were closed. All four upgrades were completed by December 2011. “It was an extremely easy process for us,” adds Niven. “Our contractor submitted all the necessary documentation to FortisBC to ensure we’d meet the criteria for the rebates. Essentially, the process was painless!”

Twelve 96 per cent efficient Viessman WB2B-60/80 boilers were installed (four each in two schools, and two each in two schools) and the projected energy savings are approximately 1,000 gigajoules of natural gas per year. As well as the savings over the life of the systems, the Coquitlam School District received a rebate of $14,180 from FortisBC for selecting high-efficiency models.

Another school district reaping the benefits of retrofitting is School District No. 72 in Campbell River. In 2011, they replaced two aging boilers at Georgia Park Elementary with two high-efficiency condensing models, qualifying for a $12,625 rebate from FortisBC’s Efficient Boiler Program.

In both schools, the money received from the rebate was reinvested into other school maintenance projects.

FortisBC commercial rebates, like all our other energy efficiency incentives, are about helping customers save energy and money, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

To learn more, talk to one our energy solutions managers or visit fortisbc.com/businessoffers. b