Prairie Valley School Receives $7,000 Energy Efficiency Rebate from Calhoun County REC
Pictured L-R (James Dick, Superintendent of PVCS; Deb Doyen, PVCS Board President; Rox Carisch, Calhoun County REC CEO; Denny Hammen, PVMS Principal and Roger Hammen, Calhoun County REC Member Service Director).
Prairie Valley School District and the Calhoun County REC are teaming up to increase efficiency and reduce the school’s energy consumption and costs.
A $7,000 lighting rebate was awarded last month to the Prairie Valley Middle School for lighting improvements. More than 400 inefficient incandescent fixtures were replaced with highly efficient T-8 fluorescent lamps and ballasts. High Bay 6 lamp fluorescent fixtures replaced existing metal halide bulbs in the gymnasium and all purpose room. LED exit lights were also installed. The improved lighting will help reduce energy consumption as well as increase lumen output in the classrooms and create a better atmosphere for the students.
“We commend Prairie Valley School District’s commitment to the environment and energy efficiency,” said Roxanne Carisch, CEO at Calhoun County REC. “As their electric energy provider we are pleased to have the opportunity to assist the school in reducing their energy costs and partner with them in this exemplary project.”
Prairie Valley Middle School and Calhoun County REC, with the help of Corn Belt Power Cooperative, which supplies electricity to Calhoun County REC, began working on this initiative in April of 2008 with completion in September. The $7,000 lighting rebate was made possible by funding from one of Corn Belt Power’s energy efficiency programs. This project is projected to reduce the school’s energy consumption by an estimated 98,000 kWhs annually.
“On behalf of the Prairie Valley Community School District and Prairie Valley Middle School I would like to extend a sincere ‘thank you’ to Calhoun County REC for the rebate to improve energy efficiency at PVMS,” said Denny Hammen, principal at PVMS. “Money saved through the rebate to install more energy efficient lighting and savings projected for the future means more money available for students’ education. It was a pleasure working with Calhoun County REC Marketing Director Roger Hammen and CEO Roxanne Carisch throughout this project. I look forward to working with the personnel from Calhoun County REC on future endeavors.”
Calhoun County REC, located at 1015 Tonawanda St. in Rockwell City, is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative. Iowa’s electric cooperatives deliver electricity in each of the state’s 99 counties and, collectively, provide electricity to approximately 650,000 Iowans.