Boston City Public Schools – Britta Victor – 2012

Goals 

Britta Victor was asked to evaluate ways that Boston Public Schools (BPS) could pay for energy efficiency upgrades without burdening its budget. 

Solutions

By examining audits of similar schools, Victor determined that upgrades such as light bulb retrofits, weather stripping and energy management software could pay for themselves within this model. The model, called equipment leasing, enables BPS to perform its own energy audits, more accurately understand its equipment needs, acquire that equipment and pay for it – with savings left over.

Potential Impact

At just five of its schools, BPS could save more than $2 million and nearly 17,000 tons of carbon dioxide over the project lifetimes. The city may expand this plan to obtain energy savings from many more schools and city buildings.