Reducing Energy Use

The Acton-Boxborough Regional School District has achieved a striking 22% reduction in electricity use over the past four years, yielding big cost savings and a substantial reduction in environmental impact. Faculty, staff and students have collaborated on energy-conserving strategies through the Power Down Project, accounting for approximately 2/3 of this reduction. These behavior-based savings have been achieved through teamwork with no capital investment required—a remarkable success. The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources website features Acton-Boxborough's Power Down Project in this case study.

Another 1/3 of the reductions have been achieved through a combination of lighting upgrades, HVAC mechanical upgrades and working to seal gaps in building envelopes. Much of this work has been funded through a combination utility incentives and Green Communities grants through the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.

Check out the numbers in our ABRSD Electricity and Natural Gas bar charts. In addition to the cost savings that these reductions represent, the district's CO2 emissions have also been reduced by approximately 1,300,000 pounds per year as a result of this trend.

We're proud of our solar arrays, but it is well worth noting that energy conservation and efficiency have had a much more significant impact on the district's overall energy profile—a reduction of 22% in electricity use in four years compared to the 4% reduction achieved thru the solar arrays.


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