CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION

                        NEWS RELEASE


For Immediate Release: December 14, 1994
For more info contact: Rob Schlichting (916) 654-5159


      STATE LOAN PROVIDES ELVERTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 
           WITH ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS


The California Energy Commission today approved a $24,750 
low-interest loan to the Elverta Joint School District for new 
energy efficient lighting.

The loan, made through the Commission's Bright Schools Program, 
will enable the district to install more efficient lighting 
equipment at Elverta Elementary School.  The improvements should
cut the school's utility bill over $3,800 annually. 

"Elverta Elementary is the second of the District's two schools 
to be retrofitted with energy-saving equipment," said Fred 
Warchol, District Superintendent.  "We did a smaller project on 
the Alpha Intermediate School campus last year.  We were so 
impressed by our energy savings there that we went back to the 
Commission to see about funding for this project as well."

Last year's lighting upgrade at the district's 150-student Alpha
Intermediate School was accomplished with a $5,090 loan from the
Energy Commission and with a rebate from the Sacramento 
Municipal Utility District.  An energy savings of more than 
$1,600 a year was predicted after outdated fluorescent and 
incandescent lighting fixtures were replaced in eight 
classrooms, the school library and on the school grounds.

Elverta Elementary is a larger school, with an enrollment of 
roughly 300 students in grades kindergarten through five.  With 
the loan approved today, the district will retrofit 16 
classrooms and upgrade the school's exterior lighting.  Warchol 
hopes to have the work finished before the end of the year to 
take maximum advantage of SMUD's utility company rebate program.

"This is a small, rural, two-school district that still uses 
some archaic, really inefficient incandescent lights," he 
explained.  "Now, thanks to this Bright Schools loan, we have 
the money to replace them.  As a result, we'll save on our 
electric bill, plus have better lighting.  For us, it's a real 
win-win situation."

For its energy savings alone, the district should be able to 
repay the Bright Schools loan in six and a half years.

The Energy Commission's Bright Schools Program was established 
to help finance energy-saving projects for small school 
districts with fewer than 2,501 students.  The funds come from 
negotiated settlements and court judgments against petroleum 
companies for consumer overcharges between 1973 and 1981.

The Elverta Joint School District is located in north Sacramento
County, near the junction of Sacramento, Sutter and Placer 
counties.

                              #####


Fred Warchol, Superintendent
Elverta Joint School District, (916) 991-5400

Energy Commission Contact:
Claudia Chandler, Assistant Executive Director, (916) 654-4989



End of File

File Name: 94-12-14_Bright Schools_Elvert