CASE STUDY
HOWLAND LOCAL SCHOOLS
Location: Warren, Ohio
The Client
Howland Local School District was formed in 1917 from the consolidation of five one-room schoolhouses. The district had seen sustained growth since the 1950s which culminated in their current system of two primary schools, two intermediate schools, one middle school and one high school.
The Solution
Plug Smart partnered with the district to bring new life to their aging facilities. We identified and implemented several energy conservation measures that would cut utility costs in order to finance the project. We replaced light fixtures with LED lighting, and installed energy efficient air conditioning in the high school, middle school, and three elementary schools. Through our CONNECT program, we covered the cost of repair to fix the district’s broken atomic clock, while utilizing as many of the legacy parts as possible to maintain its original aesthetic.
The Challenge
The district was struggling with aging facilities with systems beginning to break down. They were in need of better cooling systems to deal with hotter springs and falls. Building new was not an option for them as their eligibility for state funding would have only contributed 16% of the cost, burdening taxpayers with the remainder.
Buildings Improved
5 Legacy
Project Size
$3.2M
"While Howland may never know why the clock stopped working, we’ll always remember why it started again: this team banded together and addressed these problems without putting the burden on the taxpayers. Not only will Plug Smart’s energy efficiency project installations help us to create a more comfortable learning environment for our students, but they will also aid us in reducing our ongoing energy costs and carbon footprint,”