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AAPS District News: "AAPS investing in clean energy, achieving 100 percent clean electricity goal"
Transcription
David Fair: This is 89 one WEMU, and another school year is underway in Ann Arbor. It's not only students looking to build a future. The district itself is working to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions and do so by the year 2035. And it is taking definitive steps to get there. Here to take us through some of it and update us to where it stands now is Jason Bing. Jason is director of capital programs for the Ann Arbor Schools. And thank you for making time today, Jason! I appreciate it!
Jason Bing: Thanks so much for having me, David!
David Fair: I want to first go back to June of 2022. That's when the Ann Arbor School Board approved becoming the first district to sign on to DTE Energy's MIGreenPower Program. It's a commitment to running the district with 100% clean energy. The idea, back in 2022, was to accomplish that goal in 2024. That's this year! So, has the district made it?
Jason Bing: We've made a specific purchase of a commitment to purchase 25,000,000 kilowatt hours. And that is the majority of the electrical consumption that the district uses right now. In addition, we have ten solar arrays that are producing clean energy in the district, and we're working towards reducing as much energy that we consume as possible. So, we're well on our way to 100%. But we're not quite there yet, but we can see it on the horizon.
David Fair: Clearly, there is environmental benefits to using clean energy. I'm curious as to, whether or not, we know long-term there's going to be cost benefit, but is there an immediate cost benefit as you've moved into this program?
Jason Bing: Yeah, there's a 20-year projection of cost when we entered the MIGreenPower program. Over the first five years, there was a couple of moments where we would be right at cost neutral to spending a little bit more to help capitalize the initial investment. Over the life of the 20-year period, we're going to be saving the district over half $1 million.
David Fair: Well, you mentioned the fact that the district has solar arrays in place. And if I'm not mistaken, the Ann Arbor Schools is the largest owner and operator of solar anywhere in the state among school districts. Is it something we're going to see expanded investment and commitment to?
Jason Bing: Absolutely! The wonderful thing about solar is we install modules up on the roof, and we have anticipated savings connected with those modules. And we can track those. It's a sound investment from the district's perspective. And, at the same time, we're able to produce clean energy here on site--on campus. We will certainly be investing more, not only because they are sound investments that help us meet our overall carbon neutrality goals and save us money, but DTE and the MPAC have recently changed some of the regulatory restrictions, which, basically, remove a cap that had been limiting the scale of systems. So, we expect to actually be able to introduce larger rooftop arrays in the future. And that offers a lot of possibilities for the district.
David Fair: We're talking with Jason Bing from the Ann Arbor School District on 89 one WEMU's Issues of the Environment. There was also a move to geothermal systems in the district. And how far along have the Ann Arbor Schools gotten in that process?
Jason Bing: Yes. So, with each of our new construction projects and the planning process, we're planning all-electric HVAC systems, which, foundationally, are grounded in a geo-exchange system. In order to prepare for those new projects, we took the opportunity with two of our most recent energy efficiency upgrades at two middle school sites to introduce vertical wells and a geo-exchange system at our Clegg Middle School site and Forsythe Middle School site. And so, we have two new geo-exchange systems that have become operational in this 2024 calendar year. That adds to our already existing Skyline High School geo-exchange system. So, we are really excited about the potential for energy efficiency and renewable energy savings through those systems and also moving towards all-electric HVAC systems, which then position us for pairing with clean energy systems, such as solar. It moves us to that ultimate sweet spot where we're utilizing systems that can be supported through the on-site production of clean energy.
David Fair: Well, I'm glad you mentioned the word "efficiency" because some of the buildings in the district are quite old. So, I imagine there has to be significant investment in efficiency.
Jason Bing: Yes! It's much cheaper to save a kilowatt than it is to produce a kilowatt round. But also, with aging infrastructure, the equipment is often less efficient than some of the newer technology that is currently available to us. So, as units fail or we anticipate that they are nearing the end of their useful life, we are planning to introduce high efficiency equipment that's supported by high efficiency building automation systems and controls, which allow us to see and plan and program our buildings in ways that introduce energy management that hasn't been available to the district to this point.
David Fair: One of the primary offenders in greenhouse gas emissions are the fleet of school busses that any district has to use. Most, traditionally, run on diesel. Ann Arbor has begun its transition to an electric fleet of busses, but it's a technology in evolution. Now, the first four busses the district put on the road came with some issues. Have those largely been addressed?
Jason Bing: Yes. We have largely addressed issues with both the electric vehicles themselves and our charging infrastructure, largely due to the continued participation of not only our our amazing operational team that kind of stuck with us and worked out all the kinks, but also all the manufacturer of our electric busses, plus the distributor, plus DTE and our infrastructure providers. Really, everybody stepped up to just make sure that we navigated some of the challenges and we're kind of on the other side.
David Fair: WEMU's Issues of the Environment conversation with Jason Bing continues. Jason is director of capital programs for the Ann Arbor Public School District. Now, Ann Arbor has received funding to add four more electric busses to the fleet. When will those be up and running?
Jason Bing: So, we expect those to be up and running after they're delivered sometime early next year. So, we're just going to be taking the purchase to our board for approval. And after that, we'll be working on implementing infrastructure upgrades to support the electrical charging infrastructure to support the four busses. And so, early next year, we should have four more vehicles on the road.
David Fair: Well, I hate to put you in the position of having to look into a crystal ball, but when might the Ann Arbor school bus fleet be fully electric?
Jason Bing: Ah, that's a great question! We are actively sort of looking at how....well, there's kind of a complicated answer and a simple answer. Our goal is to eliminate our scope one emissions, which include the consumption of fossil fuel use in our transportation fleet by 2035. So, that is our target date for eliminating fossil fuel use or diesel fuel use. So, we're building a plan to meet that goal. The question that sort of remains is how do we get from here to there? And so, there's likely an incremental investment strategy that relies on available incentives, readiness of technology that relies on collaboration and commitment from our utilities, such as DTE, to help support investments in the infrastructure required to transition our fleet and really coordinating on, sort of a broader local level, how all of that infrastructure sort of integrates and relates to the various fleets--various municipal fleets---and the AAATA and all those other systems that need similar infrastructure.
David Fair: We know that the district took a big financial hit in the last academic year and had to cut over $20 million from the budget. Have those cuts touched on the district's sustainability efforts for this academic year, or will it have impact as we move even further into that goal of reaching scope one greenhouse gas emission reduction by 2035?
Jason Bing: Yeah, that's a great question! I don't know that it's clear the impacts that might affect us as we work on the operational side of things. What we're trying to do is make all the sound investments that we possibly can through our capital program, which is a separate set of monies from the general fund and operational expenses. So, where we can continue to make investments in our infrastructure, we are doing that. And we are not slowing down, in any way, connected to other events in the district. So, we're keeping steady with all of our capital investments towards eliminating scope one emissions.
David Fair: Well, I'd like to thank you for taking time to talk with me today and give us an update, Jason! I look forward to our next conversation!
Jason Bing: Thank you so much for the opportunity!
David Fair: That is Jason Bing. He serves as director of capital programs for the Ann Arbor Public School District. If you'd like more information on the school district's efforts to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions, scope one by 2035, well, just pay a visit to our website at wemu.org. Issues of the Environment is produced in partnership with the office of the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner, and we bring it to you every Wednesday. I'm David Fair, and this is your community NPR station, 89 one WEMU FM, Ypsilanti.
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