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Appliances

Appliances just being "plugged in" cost the school district money.  Standby, idle or phantom energy consumption accounts for approximately 5-10% of electricity, and is estimated to contribute to 1% of global CO2 emissions.

Here is the appliance approval matrix. This was generated by an advisory committee of over 20 people in 2017.

 

We are trying to strike a balance of safety, efficiency, and comfort. Too many plug-ins increases fire risk, uses excessive electricity, and makes rooms difficult to clean and maintain. We inventory appliances every summer, and keep a tracker for approved and unapproved appliances.

Energy Conservation Program

The Medford School District Energy Conservation program went into effect in 2011.  The purpose of the program is to strike a balance between energy conservation goals and objectives and an adequate educational environment.

  • Appliances are one small component of the energy conservation program. 
  • All employees review the energy conservation policy during annual safe schools training.
  • Heating and cooling are only on during scheduled teaching hours and for special events.
  • MSD only runs the HVAC in select areas over breaks or on weekends, typically in a single location for crews to cool down or warm up.
  • The aggregate matters.  Small steps make a big difference and it all adds up over 20 sites.
  • MSD spends ~ $2 million dollars a year on power and gas.
  • In 2015, the energy conservation effort brought back more than $200,000 to the district.
  • An improved summer shut down saved more than $50,000 in a three-month period.