SCORE program helps schools save energy across AEP Texas service territory

(Story by Omar G. Lopez)

CORPUS CHRISTI — The AEP Texas Schools Conserving Resources (SCORE) program helped 20 schools across the AEP Texas service territory earn money and lower their electricity usage in 2012.

Designed to help educational public and private facilities adopt energy efficiency strategies, the SCORE program provides incentive payments to customers who install or retrofit applications that result in verifiable demand and energy savings. The SCORE program began in 2006.

In Texas North Company (TNC), one example of an organization that benefitted from the SCORE incentive was the Eula Independent School District. Located 15 miles south of Abilene, Eula ISD installed: over 31,000 square feet of Energy Star roofing; 25 new air conditioning units with an average 14.7 seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER); 36 new dimmable LED light fixtures in place of 60 CFL fixtures; and 11 LED recessed can lights to replace 64 CFL fixtures. The improvements are expected to reduce the district’s energy consumption by over 61,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) and reduce their peak electric demand by over 30 kilowatts (kW).

Gary Throckmorton, EE/DSM coordinator for the SCORE program in TNC, said the district’s changes are prime examples of how SCORE can help a district realize its energy efficiency needs and goals.

“The SCORE Program is an organized effort to help bring needed resources and energy efficiency to Texas schools,” Throckmorton said. “For Eula ISD, this was quite impressive for a school district with 37 teachers and 382 students!”

The SCORE program is administered by CLEAResult, an energy optimization company located in Austin, Texas. CLEAResult’s services to identify energy efficiency opportunities and convert them into savings are offered at no-cost to the program participants.

Monica Craig, EE/DSM coordinator for Texas Central Company (TCC), said the SCORE program makes a positive impact on the cost savings for participants, but also on the overall effort by participants by offering guidance and direction when needed.

“The SCORE Program was designed to provide schools with both cash and non-cash incentives and support to help reduce energy costs and improve learning environments,” Craig said.

In TCC, the Calallen Independent School District is expected to reduce their annual energy use by over 203,309 kWh and reduce their peak electric demand by over 120 kW in 2012 due to improvements.

Some of the projects they implemented that qualified for SCORE incentive awards included installing over 50,000 square feet of Energy Star roofing products; 25 new air conditioning units with a 13.09 energy efficiency ratio; and a 6-lamp light fixture that will replace 38 standard light fixtures.

Since participating in the 2009 SCORE program, Calallen ISD has successfully reduced its annual energy use by more than 905,569 kWh and reduced peak electric demand by more than 433 kW.

Harley Schmidt, director of maintenance for Calallen ISD, said the SCORE incentives are helping to offset funding that will be used for more energy efficiency programs throughout the facilities.

“We are taking the savings we are earning and reinvesting it into energy,” Schmidt said. “We appreciate the SCORE program. It’s helping to put money back into our school system that we can use for other projects.”