Leveraging a local bond measure and cash incentives and assistance from Energy Trust, Pendleton School District launched a comprehensive strategy to upgrade aging facilities, lower costs and improve the learning environment for students.

The district built two identical 64,000-square-foot elementary schools and completely renovated the 50,000-square-foot Pendleton Early Learning Center for preschool and kindergarten students. All feature the latest in energy-efficient lighting and mechanical systems, along with high-efficiency water heating systems, low-flow plumbing systems, ENERGY STAR® appliances and solar electric systems.

Pendleton High School and Sunridge Middle School both benefitted from energy reboots, with new high-efficiency natural gas condensing boilers and variable frequency drives.

Pendleton School District received $330,415 in Energy Trust cash incentives toward its energy-saving and renewable energy improvements, which are saving an estimated $97,000 in annual energy costs. And the district is already scoping project opportunities at additional schools and district buildings.

“Energy Trust helped us develop a plan to touch every school and improve efficiency,” said Michelle Jones, director of business services, Pendleton School District. “Now we can redirect our energy cost savings into strategies that help us maintain, and even improve, services to students.”