DE WITT, Iowa – May 9, 2012 – The school in Dewitt is a new example of how energy-efficient planning can really save money. The building was recently finished with help from Interstate Power and Light Company, an Alliant Energy company, and incorporates some of the latest technology to reduce energy usage.
The new middle school and high school additions feature geo-thermal technology to drastically reduce the heating and cooling costs at the building. By installing this technology, the building will save more than $100,000 in energy costs versus a similar building without geo-thermal. In addition, the building features many occupancy sensors and other lighting controls to reduce energy use.
A typical building of this size, without the energy-efficient technology would spend about $240,600 a year in energy costs. This technology will lower the schools average annual bill down to $102,000.
“We’re proud of this new building and the students love it. We’re saving energy all the time. If students aren’t in the hallways, the lights will dim, even during the middle of the day,” said Keith Walker director of buildings and grounds. It was important for us to create an energy efficient building because heating and cooling costs for the district are the second highest cost we have.”
In addition to the energy savings, this project qualified for an incentive of $251,290 through Alliant Energy’s Commercial New Construction Program.
“The Commercial New construction program gets customers to think about energy efficiency from the very beginning of the project,” said Sharie Greif, Alliant Energy Business Resource Consultant. “By starting from scratch, designers can use the planning to their advantage.”
Alliant Energy offers the Commercial New Construction program to assist owners and design teams in evaluating potential energy conservation strategies for new and renovated building projects. The customer, project design team and utility personnel work together from the start of the conceptual design. They use building performance simulation modeling to identify and implement cost-effective energy efficiency approaches that improve the overall energy efficiency of a building. To qualify, the enhancements must create energy savings at least 15 percent greater than projected energy use through building standards required through the Iowa building code.
The Commercial New Construction program can be utilized for new commercial buildings and major remodeling projects. It is available to Alliant Energy retail electric and gas customers located in its Iowa service territory. For more information on Alliant Energy’s Commercial New Construction program, visit alliantenergy.com/newconstruction or call 1-866-ALLIANT (866-255-4268).
Media Contact: Justin Foss, 319-786-4788