Background
Davis School District was recognized as the 2024 Utah Energy Champion for Education Organizations, a prestigious award presented by the Utah Association of Energy Engineers. Doug Anderson, director of utility services for Davis School District, attributes much of the district’s success in reducing energy costs and usage to his team’s determination and the use of Brightly’s Energy Manager since 2006.
Reducing Energy Consumption
In 2014, Davis School District built Odyssey Elementary as a zero-energy school. While the school was Zero-Energy Certified when it was built, the school board and energy industry peers were interested to see if the building could maintain efficiency over time.
Using Energy Manager, Davis tracked energy usage and costs at all facilities. And after 10 years, the software showed that efficiency at Odyssey Elementary had not only remained consistent but had actually improved. In 2014, the school’s Energy Use Intensity (EUI) score was 15; in 2023, the score dropped to 11.8.
“Energy Manager makes it so easy to keep track of everything and see percentages and comparisons over time and across buildings,” says Ranae Stoker, energy auditor for the school district. “When I go to audit, the software immediately highlights the items I need to be looking at.”
"Since 2005, our district has grown by 40% and 3.5 million square feet, yet our energy consumption is down 17%."
Doug Anderson
Director of Utility Services, Davis School District
Simplifying Decision Making
By tracking energy usage and costs, Energy Manager empowers district leaders to make more informed decisions about building construction and equipment upgrades.
Anderson reviews data about energy costs at each building to guide the district in determining whether to build another school similar to an existing building or choose a different design. The district also uses Energy Manager data to decide when to turn on chillers, boilers, and other pieces of equipment each year.
In addition, the district relies on the software to inform decisions about equipment improvements. For example, after completing an LED lighting retrofit, Anderson can track the costs for several months to see how long it takes for the savings to overcome the project costs. Using that information, as well as Energy Manager data about which schools use the most kilowatts of power, leaders can easily decide where best to undertake the next LED lighting project.
Pinpointing Billing Errors
Energy Manager helps Davis School District save money by providing the data necessary to make educated decisions around future energy usage and costs. But it also drives savings by providing accurate information, so the district never has to overpay for utilities.
Stoker says it’s common to receive inaccurate bills from the district’s water and power company. By comparing those bills to their own data in Energy Manager, Davis School District can dispute inaccuracies with clear evidence.
"We’ve saved hundreds of thousands of dollars by being able to pinpoint billing errors."
Results
By using Brightly’s Energy Manager, Davis School District has been able to:
- Track energy usage to reduce consumption by 17%
- Simplify decision making around repairs and replacements
- Save hundreds of thousands of dollars in billing errors
Vitals
K-12 school district serving Davis County, Utah, with:
- 71,000 students
- 92 schools
- 114 buildings
- 8,000+ employees
