MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — The installation of new geothermal heating and cooling systems at four Berkeley County elementary schools will be wrapped up in time for classes to begin on Aug. 21.
The upgrades are part of a system wide energy-savings project that saw similar systems installed at three county schools last year.
Berkeley County School Superintendent Manny Arvon announced during a board of education meeting on Monday that the school system has already saved more money than anticipated thanks to the new upgrades.
“We saved $1.3 million the first year with just those three schools,” Arvon said Tuesday on “Panhandle Live.”
He said they had expected to net about $600,000 in savings for the first year.
Projections for next year put savings at about $2 million; money Arvin says is being reinvested.
“That $2 million is paying for all these energy upgrades that normally we would have to pay for out of our general fund.”
The upgrades, part of $28.3 million energy-management project Berkeley County Schools entered into with Kentucky based CMTA Consulting Engineers last year, go beyond just heating and cooling buildings.
More than 23,000 lighting fixtures are being upgraded with light-emitting diodes, hundreds of plumbing fixtures and windows are being replaced and some older schools will see new boilers and chillers installed.
Arvon said it goes beyond the equipment though.
“The scheduling, how we use our buildings. It’s been a total mind shift on what we do as a school system,” he said.
New habits and ways of utilizing technology are all part of the savings plan according to Arvon.
He added that these conversations are also likely to find their way into student’s homes as they learn new ways of conserving energy.