Energy Conservation Efforts Saving District 99 $1.6 Million in the Past Three Years

District 99 is spending 25 percent less on energy than the district was spending three years ago, according to a district report.

The savings is because of  a variety of practices the district has put in place since then.

According to a district report, the district was expected to spend $6,504,662 on energy costs from Feb. 2008 to Feb. 2011. The district instead spent $4,859,568 on energy costs during that time.

That's a savings of 25.29 percent.

According to the report, the cumulative greenhouse gas reduction amounted to 41,346 metric tons of CO2. That's the same amount that would have been saved if 7,421 cars were not driven for a year or if 1,057,541 tree seedlings were grown for 10 years.

Jill Browning, communications director for District 99, said those behavioral changes included:

• checklists to staff to remind them to power off computers, unplug appliances, close windows and doors before long weekends and holidays
• consolidating the use of small appliances, such as coffee pots, microwaves, refrigerators in the schools
• using "green," environmentally friendly cleaning supplies
•  switching to LCD lightbulbs

District 99 has received the Energy Star designation.