Trane Energy Upgrades for School District Saves Taxpayers More than $1 million

Trane^® - by Trane Technologies and Parkway School District, one of the largest school districts in Missouri, announced that the district has achieved a total energy savings of more than $1.1 million in the four years following comprehensive energy and infrastructure upgrades. This is 10 percent higher than the initial savings guaranteed by Trane.

Following the upgrades, the district is using less electricity and natural gas, resulting in a 26% reduction in energy usage annually. The project also reduced the district’s carbon emissions by more than 9,000 metric tons, the equivalent of nearly 23 million miles driven by an average passenger vehicle.       

Most recently, the district worked with Trane to install an on-campus geothermal energy plant at Parkway South High School, the district’s largest school and most significant energy consumer, when one of two chillers in its aging chiller plant became non-functional.        
                        

These gains are the result of a long-standing relationship between Trane and Parkway School District. Over the past 18 years, they have collaborated on many energy efficiency projects across the district including LED lighting, roofing insulation, and heating and cooling plant infrastructure upgrades in support of the school district's long-held commitment to sustainable technologies.“Our district motto is ‘Higher Expectations. Brighter Futures,’ and what we have achieved working with Trane is an excellent example of what that can mean,” said Patty

Bedborough, chief financial officer, Parkway School District. “Through our collaboration, we have surpassed our already-high expectations for energy efficiency. Not only does this support our ongoing commitment to sustainability, it allows us to prioritize more dollars toward student education.” 

Most recently, the district worked with Trane to install an on-campus geothermal energy plant at Parkway South High School, the district’s largest school and most significant energy consumer, when one of two chillers in its aging chiller plant became non-functional. The energy upgrade, completed in 2021, was the first of its kind in the Greater St. Louis area and reduced the school’s carbon footprint, while increasing energy efficiency, preserving campus aesthetics and minimizing architectural and acoustical impacts. 

“It is a privilege to work with Parkway School District, a recognized sustainability leader in the education space,” said Jennifer Geen, senior account manager, Complex Solutions, Trane. “We are proud to support the district’s measures to implement highly-efficient solutions that help create a better indoor environment for students and staff alike while reducing the district’s energy use, carbon emissions and costs, all of which will benefit the community for years to come.” 

Trane’s work with Parkway School District supports Trane Technologies’ 2030 Sustainability Commitments, including its Gigaton Challenge which aims to reduce one gigaton – or, a billion metric tons – of customers’ carbon emissions by 2030.