Overview
Holistic Utility Solutions completed a school energy efficiency retrofit for Union Hill Independent School District in Texas.
District leadership wanted to reduce operating costs while addressing aging lighting systems and outdated building controls. Because the district faced financial constraints, the project focused on improvements that could deliver strong energy savings with relatively low capital investment.
The objective of the school energy efficiency retrofit was to reduce energy consumption while improving building comfort and operational efficiency.
Progress
Holistic began the project by reviewing energy consumption and evaluating existing lighting and thermostat systems across the campus.
The assessment identified several opportunities for improvement, including:
- Older fluorescent lighting fixtures
- Inefficient metal halide gymnasium lighting
- Non-programmable thermostats
- HVAC systems operating continuously without scheduling controls
Because many thermostats lacked scheduling capability, heating and cooling systems often operated 24 hours per day, which increased energy costs.
After identifying improvement opportunities, Holistic developed a retrofit plan focused on high-return energy efficiency upgrades.
Solution
The school energy efficiency retrofit included two primary improvements: LED lighting upgrades and installation of smart thermostats.
Lighting upgrades included:
- Replacement of fluorescent tube lighting with energy-efficient LED tubes
- Installation of high-bay LED fixtures in gymnasium areas
In addition, Holistic installed approximately 40 networked Pelican smart thermostats across the facility.
The thermostats were programmed with consistent scheduling to automatically reduce HVAC usage during evenings, weekends, and school holidays.
The total project cost was approximately $134,000.
Holistic Utility Solutions also secured a utility incentive from SWEPCO valued at approximately $18,000, which was passed directly to the school district.
Result
The school energy efficiency retrofit significantly improved energy management across the campus.
Key outcomes included:
- Reduced electricity consumption
- Lower heating and cooling costs
- Improved control of building HVAC systems
- Reduced lighting maintenance requirements
- Utility incentive savings for the district
Overall, the project demonstrates how targeted efficiency improvements can help school districts reduce operational costs while improving facility performance.
