Seattle Public Schools has received $4.6 million in energy-efficiency improvement grants from the Washington State Department of Commerce. The grants, part of the $50 million State Jobs Acts for Public K-12 and Higher Education awards, will help fund 10 energy-efficiency projects at 22 Seattle schools. SPS will contribute $13.74 million of the $18.4 million total project cost.
The Seattle School District grants were awarded during the second round of state Commerce Department energy-efficiency grant funding. During the first round, announced Aug. 12, SPS received seven Department of Commerce energy conservation construction grants totaling $3.86 million. In addition, SPS was awarded three energy conservation construction grants, totaling $5.58 million, from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
More than 50 SPS schools will receive energy-efficiency upgrades through the $14 million in energy grants awarded to date, along with existing funding provided by voters through the Buildings, Technology & Academics (BTA) capital levy projects.
The projects and schools include:
- Energy management control system (EMCS) upgrades, replacing pneumatic controls
Grant Award: $1,502,008 for Mercer Middle, Olympic Hills Elementary, Rainier Beach High School, Aki Kurose Middle, Washington Middle, Whitman Middle.
- Energy management control system (EMCS) upgrades, replacing pneumatic controls.
Grant Award: $1,355,719 for Beacon Hill International, Blaine K-8, Broadview-Thomson K-8, Eckstein Middle, Ingraham High, Jane Addams K-8.
- Upgrade roof and add insulation.
Grant Award: $522,183 for Meany Middle.
- Upgrade heating, ventilation, and air conditioning and hot water heater Wing Luke Elementary Upgrade roof and add insulation at Columbia Elementary
Grant Award: $310,171
- Replace boiler, heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, and EMCS controls
Grant Award: $276,000 for Lowell Elementary
- Replace pump motors and add pump controls and upgrade boilers and controls.
Grant Award: $248,400 for Sand Point Elementary
- Replace air conditioning units, pump motors, heat pumps, and upgrade motors and controls. Grant Award: $185,500 for Leschi Elementary
- Upgrade EMCS controls at Bagley Elementary
HVAC Upgrade at Olympic View Elementary
Grant Award: $105,500
- Replace approximately 25 percent of the windows
Grant Award: $77,457 for Catharine Blaine K-
- Replace lighting and install sensors in the gymnasium.
Grant Award: $21,870 for Rainier Beach High
Washington State’s 2010 supplemental capital budget included $50 million for the Washington State Department of Commerce and $50 million for OSPI for energy cost-savings grants through the Jobs Act for Public K-12 and Higher Education. The grants are being awarded through a competitive process and may be used solely for energy and cost-savings improvements.
The immediate goal of the Commerce Department program is to stimulate Washington’s economy by creating jobs. The long-term goal is to reduce the energy costs at the state’s public education facilities.