MONTGOMERY, AL – November 24, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — Economic stimulus grants awarded by Governor Bob Riley are helping 70 schools in 14 public school systems save energy and reduce utility bills by upgrading equipment and making other improvements.
The Governor announced Tuesday that more than $4 million in grants are being awarded to the schools to replace outdated heating, cooling and lighting systems with new equipment that is energy efficient.
“The school improvements funded by these grants will reduce each school’s energy consumption, and that saves taxpayers’ money. This is a good investment both for our schools and our taxpayers,” said Governor Riley.
The following 14 grants were announced:
• Butler County: The Butler County Board of Education will use a $226,700 grant to replace door seals and install double-paned windows at Greenville Elementary and McKenzie High schools. The board also will replace heating, air conditioning and ventilation units at Greenville Elementary School with energy-efficient units.
• Chambers County: The Chambers County Board of Education is receiving $134,350 to replace old heating and air conditioning units and install double-paned windows at Huguley Elementary School.
• DeKalb County: With a $346,383 grant, the DeKalb County Board of Education will upgrade the lighting systems of several schools. These updates will produce an equivalent amount of light using lower wattage bulbs. The schools scheduled to receive the upgrades are Crossville High, Crossville Elementary, Henagar Junior High, Moon Lake Elementary, Collinsville High, DeKalb County Technical and Geraldine, Ider, Plainview, Sylvania, Valley Head schools.
• Escambia County: The Escambia County Board of Education is receiving a $147,150 grant to upgrade the lighting system at Rachel Patterson Elementary School.
• Montgomery County: A $431,600 grant will enable the Montgomery County Board of Education to replace 218 windows at Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School with new models that hold in more warm air in the winter and cool air in the summer. In addition to wasting energy, cracks in current window casings have resulted in moisture damage in classrooms.
• Piedmont: Piedmont City Schools will use a $330,220 grant to make energy upgrades at Piedmont Elementary, Middle and High schools. The upgrades include a switch to lighting systems that use lower wattage bulbs and the installation of energy management systems that allow facility managers to easily monitor and control building temperatures and detect heating and cooling problems faster.
• Roanoke: With a $170,000 grant, Roanoke City Schools will install energy management systems at Handley Middle and High schools.
• Russell County: The Russell County Board of Education is receiving $376,229 for improvements to Dixie, Ladonia, Oliver, Russell and Mt. Olive elementary schools. The improvements include installation of double-paned windows, energy-efficient lighting systems and sensors that will automatically turn the lights off when no one is in a classroom.
• Selma: Selma City Schools will use a $106,674 grant to switch lighting fixtures in nine schools to models that are more energy efficient. Schools scheduled for the upgrades are Cedar Park Elementary, Kingston Elementary, Knox Elementary, Meadowview Elementary, Payne Elementary, Byrd School, Selma Middle-CHAT Academy, Phoenix Alternative and School of Discovery.
• Talladega County: A $765,237 grant will enable Talladega County Schools to install energy efficient heating and air conditioning units, add insulation and upgrade the lighting systems at several area schools. Schools scheduled to receive upgrades are B.B. Comer, Childersburg, Lincoln, Munford, Stemley Road, Sycamore and Watwood elementary schools. Childersburg Middle School and Childersburg, Fayettville, Talladega County Central and Winterboro high schools also will receive upgrades.
• Tarrant: The Tarrant City School System will use a $239,772 grant to upgrade lighting systems at Tarrant Elementary and Middle schools and install tankless water heaters at Tarrant Middle School. The tankless models heat water only as needed, saving the energy.
• Tuscaloosa: The Tuscaloosa City Board of Education is receiving $510,000 to install energy-efficient lighting systems and sensors that will automatically turn the lights off when no one is in a classroom at Arcadia Elementary, Skyland Elementary and Oakhill schools. The board also will replace heating, air conditioning and ventilation units at Arcadia, Martin Luther King Jr. and Oakhill schools with new energy-efficient units.
• Walker County: With a $304,750 grant, the Walker County Board of Education will install programmable thermostats at 15 schools to automatically reduce heating and cooling during times the schools are not occupied such as nights and weekends.
• Winston County: The Winston County Board of Education will use an $82,002 grant to replace the current heating and air conditioning systems at Addison and Double Springs elementary schools with units that are more energy efficient.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants which Riley awarded from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
