ARCHBOLD WEATHER

Archbold Schools Wind Team Still Studies Issue





The Archbold Area School District’s Wind Team is still at work and looking at more than just wind turbines, David Deskins, school district superintendent, said last week.

The district is working on a three-part plan that will eventually lead to energy cost savings.

The first is education and conservation. Deskins said the majority of energy savings come from the two areas of education and energy conservation. To accomplish the goals, he said the district will conduct energy audits of the school buildings.

“We’ll look at where we are now,” he said.

Under conservation, most of the energy savings can be found in lighting and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, or HVAC.

“We’ll be looking at those areas,” he said.

Primary Power

Deskins said district officials also are looking into a system called primary metering.

Under primary metering, the school district would tap into the Toledo Edison electricity grid at a single point, receiving electricity at a higher voltage.

The school district would then use a transformer to reduce teh voltage to a usable level. The school district would be responsible for distributing electricity among its facilities.

In return, the school district would purchase electricity from the company at a reduced rate.

Deskins also said the school district has started talks with Toledo Edison about the possibility of partnering on an alternative energy project, such as a wind turbine or a solar panel system.

“This is a unique opportunity for the school and the energy company,” Deskins said.

Participation in an alternative energy project gives the school district the potential for cost savings, and an educational opportunity for the students.

Toledo Edison would have a chance to be in the forefront of alternative energy.

Pettisville

Steve Switzer, superintendent at the Pettisville Local School District, said representatives from Pettisville and Archbold schools had met about the possibility of working together on an alternative energy project.

“Basically, we started to work on wind power three years ago, going to seminars and gathering information,” Switzer said.

He said the two school districts will make contact with Ted Strickland, Ohio governor, about getting financial assistance through the state, possibly through the state capital budget.

Both districts are at a point where they are ready for alternative energy projects. Archbold Schools are looking at additional cost savings, while the Pettisville district is looking into a new building project.

“It could prove to be unfeasible for a school of our size,” he said.

But the district needs to explore the option, Switzer said.


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