McLean County Unit 5 Warehouse
1999 Eagle Road
Normal, IL 61761
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The Unit Five Central Warehouse is a 15,000-square-foot facility designed to serve the needs of a 28-site (pre-K through 12) school district with more than 12,500 students. The district food service, which includes two large walk-in freezers and one large walk-in cooler, along with maintenance shops, and grounds operations are all housed at the location. Office heating is accomplished using four furnaces, and the office areas are air conditioned. Warehouse heating is provided via hanging units. Custodial supplies and items typically needed to complete routine maintenance are stored at the warehouse. Employees take the mission of cutting expenses very seriously and pursue multiple measures to reduce costs.
To help address a dwindling Operations and Maintenance Fund budget, the Board of Education signed a contract in late 2004 with Energy Education, Inc. to assist with utility management and cost containment. The formal application of the program began August 1, 2005. Thus, August 1, 2004 through July 31, 2005 became the baseline year for building performance comparison. Using the methods developed by Energy Education, Inc., which include having an Energy Educator Manager work in the district and expert consultants frequently visit to assist with both building and data analysis, the school district began realizing savings. As a "people-based program," the major goal was to teach each employee and student to think about energy efficiency.
The employees at this site clearly understood that budget constraints needed to be addressed and that reducing consumption was a must for the future. With the goal of energy savings in sight through reduced lighting use and lower daytime thermostat settings for day and night (heating season), the goal of cost reduction began. After over 3.5 years, the savings averaged more than $16,700 per year. This effort had both a monetary and environmental impact as less electricity and natural gas were needed to meet the building needs.
The performance of district buildings has been highlighted in the local newspaper, at Board of Education meetings, and a seminar highlighting "green" activities throughout the community.
Communications:
Communication for this site involves:
-- Sending a monthly newsletter electronically to each employee.
-- Sharing monthly savings with the superintendent.
-- Holding a meeting twice a year with the building administrator, head custodian, and energy manager.
-- Giving reports to the board of Education twice per year.
-- Reporting information in local news media.
Testimonial:
Unavailable
Please note: Narrative information in this profile has been provided by McLean County Unit School District #5 or a representative of this facility. Other building information was verified and submitted to EPA at the time of application. Building energy performance, operating characteristics, and ownership/management may be subject to change over time.
Building Owner:*
McLean County Unit School District #5
Property Manager:*
McLean County Unit School District #5
Year(s) Labeled (Rating):
2012 (77)
2011 (77)
2010 (87)
2009 (90)
2007 (97)
Facility Type: Warehouse (Unrefrigerated)
Total Floorspace: 49553 sf
Year Constructed: 2003
Contract Type: None
Technologies Used:
| Stage 1-Recommissioning |
For More Info:
Bruce Boswell
Normal,
IL
61761
309-888-6979
boswelbm@unit5.org