CEL installed its technology at several schools in and around Hoquiam, Washington. A recent pilot at Lincoln Elementary has been highly successful.
The Daily World newspaper in Washington recently featured CEL's projects at several schools in Hoquiam and Aberdeen, Washington. These rural districts in coastal towns need a cost-effective way to comply with the new clean building standards set by Washington HB 1257. They cannot afford major HVAC upgrades yet face penalties in the coming years for failing to comply with emissions goals.
In CEL, Hoquiam School District found a solution that fit their budget, kept students and teachers comfortable, and didn’t get in the way of classes. CEL recently ran a 12-week pilot program at Lincoln Elementary. The school saw a 28% 15-minute peak interval kW demand reduction and 29% energy usage cost reduction. That translates to thousands in energy savings for the district. This is a welcome windfall in this rural district. The pilot provided such impressive results the district is now exploring implementing the energy savings strategies district-wide
"We've been blown away by the results."
- Matt Kemph, Hoquiam School District Maintenance Director
Based on the savings at Lincoln alone, Hoquiam may be able to keep two more teaching positions filled. District administrators even think that installing CEL's technology district-wide could save as many as 10 teaching jobs over the next year and a half.
“This tech allows us to keep the focus on education, give students and teachers comfortable classrooms, offer our facilities staff a break, and redirect funds back into student programs. It’s a no-brainer as we aim to be good stewards of taxpayer money. It more than pays for itself. I’m hoping these savings will help us afford to do more meaningful work,”
- Mike Villarreal, Ed.D., Hoquiam School District Superintendent
The pilot project at Lincoln Elementary was largely made possible through partners at the Washington Department of Commerce, Energy Northwest, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Energy.
