District weighs $39,000 energy‑management pilot to cut peak electric costs; board asks for detailed payback analysis

District administrators presented a proposal on March 18 to deploy a proprietary energy‑management service to analyze HVAC operation and peak electric demand across buildings and to identify minute‑by‑minute opportunities to reduce charges.

Mr. Campbell explained the system would connect to building automation systems and provide analytics and optimization that administrators do not currently have in house. The quoted implementation cost in the meeting was roughly $39,000 for installation plus a monthly service fee (discussion in the meeting referenced about $2,000/month), and administration estimated a typical payback window of 12–18 months based on energy savings observed by other districts. “This software gives us the ability to target our systems to save money,” Mr. Campbell said, describing examples where software helped another district detect a malfunction that produced immediate savings.

Board members asked detailed questions about contract length, monthly fees and whether a multiyear commitment would be required; one member said the proposal was promising but asked for comparative data and a vendor presentation. Administration indicated the item would be brought as an action item at the next meeting, with the vendor available to present and answer fiscal‑detail questions.

What happens next: Administration will supply a detailed cost/benefit analysis and can arrange a vendor presentation at the April board meeting if the board requests one; the board did not approve the purchase on March 18 and asked for additional analysis.