Rebuild Colorado, a Program of the Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation, Partners on First Geoexchange System for Pueblo Schools

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 30, 2004--

School District Invests $6 Million in Energy Efficiency Measures

Irving Elementary School of Pueblo 60 School District in Pueblo, Colorado, celebrated its grand opening in December with partners Rebuild Colorado, a program of the Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation (OEMC) and the StEPP (Strategic Environmental Project Pipeline) Foundation. The newly constructed school benefited from the collaboration between Rebuild Colorado and Pueblo 60 to secure funding for alternative energy systems.

Linda Smith, the Rebuild Colorado program manager, approached Pueblo 60 to jointly seek a StEPP grant proposal for alternative energy, to work together on other long-term energy-efficient projects, in order to maximize energy saving opportunities for the 39 schools in the district. The two organizations produced a proposal that was awarded $65,000 for alternative energy technologies from the StEPP Foundation. Pueblo 60 added its own substantial dollars and used the StEPP Foundation grant to leverage another $6 million in interest-free bonds to focus on energy efficiency and deferred maintenance needs for all buildings in the district. Rebuild Colorado verified the costs and savings attributed to the geoexchange project and other energy saving projects.

The geoexchange system installed at Irving Elementary is the first for any Pueblo Schools and will provide heating and cooling to the entire school building. A geoexchange system is based on the fact that, regardless of weather conditions, the Earth maintains a stable temperature several yards below the surface. Circulating a glycol solution through buried pipes, the system extracts heat from the ground in the winter and dumps excess heat back into the ground during the summer. The heat pumps in the building complete the cycle, delivering comfortable temperatures, throughout the seasons, to the occupied spaces.

Rebuild Colorado found that the geoexchange system is estimated to reduce utility costs by 20 percent compared to a conventional system. The maintenance is similar to water circulating systems, such as package air conditioning units and is not expected to need any special or additional services. The system was made a clear winner compared to conventional systems because of long-term operational savings.

"Rebuild Colorado is known for taking the extra initiative for Colorado's public institutions, saving tax payers thousand of dollars every year through the best energy management practices," said Rick Grice, OEMC executive director.

Partner Information:

-- StEPP Foundation: www.StEPPFOUNDATION.org

-- Pueblo 60 School District, contact Greg Sinn: (719)549-7187

-- Rebuild Colorado: OEMC developed Rebuild Colorado to help building owners identify and capitalize on energy-saving projects in buildings and receives partial funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. It provides free services to state and local governments including: school districts, state agencies, higher education institutions, cities, counties, hospitals, and public housing authorities. Rebuild Colorado website: www.colorado.gov/rebuildco, email: rebuildco@state.co.us or phone: (303)866-2264 or 1-800-632-6662.