Fair-Mont-Egan School completes lighting upgrade
Fair-Mont-Egan School has completed a two-year, phased project that replaced the school’s indoor and outdoor lighting with energy-efficient LED fixtures.
The total cost for the upgrade was just over $45,000,
“A bill that big would have been impossible for our district to absorb without the financial assistance of the Flathead Electric rebate program, the services of GM Electric, and the planning support from Platt Electric Supply,” Fair-Mont-Egan District Clerk Shelley Struck said in a press release.
The Flathead Electric rebate program, administered by Energy Services Representative Michael Stahlberg, provided over $20,000 in rebate incentives. In addition, local electrical contractor Mike Griffith, owner of GM Electric, provided labor for the installation at a largely discounted rate. The remaining expense will be recouped by the district in less than seven years through energy savings.
The project began with a Flathead Electric Cooperative energy audit of the gymnasium in 2017. After successful completion of the gym project, the remaining classroom lighting was tackled over the summer of 2018. Several classrooms contained original fixtures dating back to the 1960s and ’70s. Stephen Armstrong of Platt Electric Supply helped design and create the work plan, finding the most cost-effective fixtures for each phase. Energy savings are estimated between 68 and 72 percent.
The last phase of the project replaced the outside lighting. GM Electric donated the labor for two phases, and provided at-cost labor services for the final phase. Projected cost savings also do not include the reduced labor and supply expenses saved by not needing to change bulbs for an estimated 10 years or longer.
Fair-Mont-Egan is a rural K-8 school district located about 5 miles east of Kalispell. Finding innovative ways to maintain an aging infrastructure is a challenge, Struck said.
“The Fair-Mont-Egan board is committed to making every taxpayer dollar count. This is a dilemma that all schools face and we were fortunate enough to secure such generous community support,” Struck added.