The Fayette County School System more than a year ago implemented measures to reduce the amount of electricity consumed at its schools and other facilities. Facilities Services Director Mike Satterfield recently reported that a kilowatt-hour comparison study covering the period from May 2008 to May 2009 showed a savings of more than $43,000.

In total, system-wide efforts resulted in a reduction in electricity consumption totaling 14.30 percent for a savings of $43,064, Satterfield said.

The greatest savings came at the former East Fayette Elementary, with a 53.86 percent reduction in electric use. Since the move of the student population to the new Inman campus for the 2008/2009 school year, the old elementary has been used primarily as office space for a number of Lafayette Educational Center staff after that building sustained storm damage to the roof.

Huddleston Elementary reduced its kilowatt-hour use by 38.89 percent, or $5,529 and Peachtree City Elementary showed a reduction of 25.50 percent, or $2,599. Electricity costs at Oak Grove Elementary dropped by 21.24 percent while the Sandy Creek High School/ Flat Rock Middle/Burch Elementary complex saw a 20.53 percent reduction. Braelinn Elementary also showed a significant reduction of 19.84 percent in electric use, as did Brooks Elementary with a savings of 16.92 percent.

Other school system building also showed a reduction in electric consumption. Central office decreased consumption by 19.49 percent over the previous year, the woodshop cut its electric use by 33.33 percent and the main warehouse showed a savings of 19.77 percent.

The schools and offices since spring 2008 have implemented numerous cost-saving measures, including energy-saving strategies, to trim expenses in the wake of decreases in state funding as the recession progressed. Continuing those efforts, Satterfield noted recently that during summer months the various camps had been restricted to a Monday-Thursday schedule and that buildings had been closed by 5 p.m.

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