Photo Courtesy of VCBO Architects

The $28-million, 26,000-sq-ft, two-story Park City High School is the first comprehensive high school in Utah to receive LEED certification, and was designed to incorporate legacy sections of the old Park City High School as well as elements that echo the area’s mining history.

Patrick Ogden: None.

MSC: How has the current bidding frenzy impacted projects in your district? On average how much are you saving on projects?

PO: We haven’t seen a huge impact. On average, we are seeing a savings of approximately 8%.

MSC: Are projects being won solely by low bid or do existing relationships with contractors and other factors figure strongly in your project awards?

PO: Generally, projects are awarded to the lowest bidder.

MSC: What is the status of the district’s current bond issue?

PO: Currently, we are not working with any bond issues, and don’t plan to propose any at this time.

MSC: What construction plans does the district have for 2011 (projects that will complete or break ground)?

PO: Tentatively, we would like to build one new 40,000 to 70,000-sq-ft building.

Park City School District Awarded Energy Grants

District will receive a grant to enhance energy savings at local schools.

Park City School District recently announced that it will receive $152,000 in the form of a grant and no-interest loan from the U.S. Dept. of Energy for projects promoting energy efficiency at Jeremy Ranch Elementary, McPolin Elementary and Park City High School.

McPolin and Jeremy Ranch will undergo “building tune-ups” in which heating, cooling and electrical consumption is adjusted to achieve optimal efficiency, says Steve Oliver, director of support services for the district.

The three projects are expected to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 633,000 lb and save the district close to $21,000 per year.

Parts of the Park City High School and Eccles Center also will be refitted with high-efficiency, low-maintenance LED lights. The new lights will save the district $5,000 a year in electrical costs, plus many hours of labor over the lifetime of the lamps. The LEDs are expected to last at least twice as long as those currently installed.

Oliver says he is excited about the opportunity to improve an already energy-efficient school system. “It has always been my goal to make Park City School District a leader in energy conservation,” he says.

The district has the first comprehensive high school in Utah to receive LEED certification and announced earlier this year that its new Park City High School had earned LEED-Silver certification from the USGBC.

Half of the $152,000 grant comes in the form of cash. The other half is a zero-interest loan that will be repaid with energy-cost savings, rebates and incentives from Rocky Mountain Power and the Questar Gas ThermWise Program.

The Utah State Energy Program administers the grant with funding from the federal American Recovery & Reinvestment Act.