By AMY STRAUSS

astrauss@phoenixvillenews.com

It starts with the proposition of simply turning off a few lights in the classrooms, but overall, a new energy-savings plan has the potential to save the Phoenixville Area School District hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"We are looking to find lower energy costs for the district," said Paul Slaninka, a PASD board member who serves on the district's Energy Committee. "We are entering an energy evolution in hopes to improve costs, save energy and become more eco-friendly."

With the assistance of Reynolds Energy Services, an independently-owned energy consulting firm that focuses on working with clients to make their facilities as energy efficient as possible, the Phoenixville Area Middle School was the first building to be audited, which revealed wasteful findings that could easily be fixed for the school to become more an energy saver.

From water conservation to turning off lights in unoccupied rooms and adjusting timers for lights in large spaces, suggestions were made from room-to-room by the company.

Reynolds has continued to encourage energy proficiency in the community's district by offering to also audit the remaining school buildings within the district for free. By investigating the schools, the company passed on behavioral modifications that, by using the suggested "quick fixes," the district could easily save 10% of their funds, with a goal to initially reach a 75 percent efficiency in one year within all of their buildings.

In 2008, PASD's consolidated utility bill for the year totaled $1,065,890. A decrease in monthly spending, due to energy conservation, could result in a hefty profit for the school-wide community.

Ron Miller, PASD's head of Maintenance and the Chair of the Energy Committee, revealed that PASD will feel the affects of PECO's future electric utility deregulation by 2011, resulting in a "20-40 percent increase."

"It's an educational exercise to educate teachers and students to do a better job in energy conservation," said Miller, in regards to prematurely assisting to lower future increased costs.

"It would be ridiculous if the schools wouldn't be anything about it," continued Miller. "Our goal is to reduce energy consumption."

Miller, with his maintenance staff, also updated caulking and glazing in and around windows, which is a primary method, as Reynolds Energy Services' revealed, to provide better indoor air quality. "Windows typically provide poor thermal value and leaking windows worsens the existing problem," stated Reynolds in their auditing report.

The district, with energy efficient pleas already well underway, has additionally asked the entire staff to adopt green efforts. Supervisor Dr. Barbara Burke-Stevenson has e-mailed the district's employees to suggest practices that each individual employee can do to be more energy efficient, as well as discussed green concerns that will help the facilities meet performance expectations.

"Kudos goes to each teacher who takes their laptop home each night," said Jan Potts, another PASD board member who resides on the Energy Committee with Slaninka and Miller. "Even if the laptops are turned off, but plugged in, they still use energy within the schools."

Also in support, Phoenixville Area High School recently formed the Green Club, lead by student Kate Casaday. With initial plans to rejuvenate recycling within the high school and extend throughout the district, over 40 students have already become active within the organization.

"We are trying to educate our kids on eco-friendly behaviors," said Potts. "If we better educate them for the long term, we will conserve national resources, and enhance health and safety."

The Energy Committee's representatives welcome the community to attend the next meeting, to be help Nov. 19 at 3:15 p.m. in the middle school's library.

"We hope to keep moving forward," said Slaninka. "Hopefully our overall efforts can minimize the taxes and impact the district's future budget."