CenterPoint Energy has awarded SBISD more than $26,800 under its 2007 Schools Conserving Resources (SCORE) Program, an energy efficiency pilot program designed to reduce schools’ energy operating costs. CenterPoint pays $185 per kilowatt of energy saved under the plan, which is calculated by the Public Utility Commission of Texas.
Last year, SBISD was awarded $15,600 under the plan; this year’s exact rebate is $26,818.90. These savings represent the equivalent of a total greenhouse gas reduction of 159 metric tons of carbon dioxide, or an equivalent savings of 371 barrels of oil, or more than 18,100 gallons of gasoline. The rebate was announced at the district’s Jan. 21 Board of Trustees meeting.
“The incentives motivated us to improve the efficiency of our systems, but the money that we will save on our utility bills over the coming years will be even more valuable,” said SBISD Energy Manager Rebecca Cordeiro de Peredo. The district plans to use this year’s rebate funds to finance other energy conservation and efficiency projects in its schools and other buildings.
Presenting the rebate check to SBISD was CenterPoint Energy Program Manager Gary Shadwell. Joining him during the rebate presentation was CLEAResult Consulting Program Manager Fred Wu, who is a recent graduate of Memorial High School. Wu also attended Memorial Drive Elementary and Spring Branch Middle schools.