Au Gres - Sims Schools

Au Gres - Sims School District

310 S. Court Street, Au Gres, MI

Property classification: 729 - Combined School

Property website: http://www.ags-schools.org/

Sustainability Summary:

Au Gres-Sims School:

  • has a recycling program
  • uses low-flow water fixtures
  • uses T-8 or CFL lighting fixtures extensively
  • has a power conservation policy.

Our original building was constructed in 1948, with additions in 1951, 1960, 1966, 1980, 1987 and 1999. In the summer of 1995, we completed a small renovation project to lower the ceilings and replace all of the T-12 lighting in our High School classrooms. At the same time we replaced all of the windows in this same location with thermal pane "Winco" window units. In the fall of 1998 our district passed a bond issue to renovate portions of our High School and Elementary School. During this project, we also constructed a new Middle School addition, Kitchen and Multi-Purpose Room. The existing steam boilers and classroom univents in the High School and Elementary buildings were replaced with "Slant Fin" modular hot water boilers and "Trane" classroom pane "Winco" windows. An "American Auto-Matrix" digital energy management system was installed, replacing the original pneumatic control system.

Property Description:

Au Gres - Sims School was built in 1948, with the last major renovation in 1999.  The school is one story, with approximately 110,000 square feet of floor area.  There are approximately 412 students in grades K-12, with 21 teachers. 

Case Study:

Our school district has explored additional measures to reduce our energy consumption:

  • Replacement of the 400 watt metal halide high bay fixtures in High School Gym and Elementary Multi-purpose Room with F-Bay Fluoresecent fixtures.
  • Replacement of the ballasts and bulbs in the High School building. The current lights have T-8, four bulb fixtures with instant start ballasts. We would like to retrofit these lights with program rapid start ballasts and two T-8 bulbs.
  • Occupancy sensors in all bathrooms, locker rooms and gyms throughout the facilities.
  • Replacement of all remaining 3.5 gallon toilets, 1.5 gallon urinals and spring loaded faucets in the High School and Elementary buildings. These were installed from 1948 to 1966.
  • Insulate with thermal pipe insulation, the supply and return heating piping in the High School crawl space and Elementary tunnel system. This was not done during the 1999 bond project.

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