For immediate release
February 28, 2000

Public School Board Invests in Facilities

    The Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board and DukeSolutions Canada Incorporated, an energy management firm, will form a partnership to review the way energy is used in school buildings. Initial reviews indicate that replacement of aging lighting, temperature controls and heating systems with modern energy saving equipment can save the Board as high as $960,000 annually on its utility bills. An estimated investment of $7.5 million in facilities improvements will be paid back over a 10 year period through the savings generated without causing a burden on the budget.
    Over the next few months, a team of DukeSolutions engineers will visit each school to develop an action plan detailing which equipment will be replaced. Retrofit construction will begin as early as this summer and be completed over an 18 month period.
   "Through this project it is anticipated that in addition to reducing utility costs the learning environment in the classrooms will improve through better lighting, enhanced heating controls and efficient air exchange," says Kathy Peever, Chair of the Operations & Finance Committee of the Board.
DukeSolutions is a prominent energy management firm with headquarters in Toronto and has completed more than 20 similar projects for other Ontario school boards.

For more information contact:
Donald S. Tregenza, Controller of Plant,  966-1170  ext. 2250
Tim Creswell, Duke Solutions Canada Inc., (416) 512-7700