The Arizona Carter Academy (ACA) was seeking to spend less on energy and looked to Oculus Studio for assistance. The project was entered into the APS Solutions for Business program under Technical Assistance. The response was to provide a comprehensive ASHRAE Level 2 Energy Audit leading to financially feasible and realistic energy efficiency measures.
After visiting the site and performing an analysis of options, it was determined the least cost and quickest payback was to retrofit existing exterior and interior lighting with LED as well as perform an advanced diagnostic/repair of HVAC systems and ductwork. The school has since used the Gymnasium as a comprehensive initial test and the results are very compelling. During the first seven months since the upgrades, there has been 25% less energy used and 22% drop in peak demand resulting in over $3200 saved so far. Based on the continued trend of savings, it is projected the interior lighting LED retrofit and advanced diagnostic/repair of HVAC systems to yield an Energy Use Index (EUI) of 11.62 kWh per square foot per year.
Operational savings means increased resources in the classroom for students and teachers. The result of engaging with Oculus Studio was a comprehensive Energy Audit to create a valuable campus masterplan for energy improvements that will continue the trend of energy savings.