Procurement & Resource Management
The following items will be posted as soon as they are created by this topic's stakeholder team.
Management Toolkit
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Input-Output Diagram for Current System
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Assessing Impacts to Sustainability (Actual and Potential)
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Vision of Sustainability
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Key Sustainability Indicators, with metrics
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List of Best Management Practices
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Key Go-To Organizations in Oregon
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Relevant Rules and Regulations
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Funding Sources to Assist Schools
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Barriers to Achieving Sustainability
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Training Opportunities for School Personnel
Input-Output Diagram for Current System
The first step is to understand what’s happening now. An Input-Output diagram of the current system is helpful.
This one can be adopted or modified, if needed, to fit your school or district.
Assessing Impacts to Sustainability (Actual and Potential)
In order to manage your impacts to sustainability, you need to identify all the potential impacts your school or district could make. The relative importance of these impacts varies with such factors as geographic location, size, etc. Start from this impacts matrix which is based on worst-case potential, and customize it for your school or district.
Vision of Sustainability
It’s important to establish a guiding vision of what a truly sustainable state might be. This may not even be possible today, but the vision helps to establish a plan for moving forward. By “backcasting” you identify the steps necessary to eventually achieve the vision. With this powerful technique it sometimes becomes clear that an entirely different direction is needed than simply doing your existing practices better. You can customize this vision or adopt as-is.
Key Sustainability Indicators, with metrics
Read about indicators in the “Assessing Sustainability” section.
This set of key indicators can be used to develop a baseline and subsequently track progress. There is also a metric for each indicator. We suggest you use the indicators listed, but it’s possible to increase or decrease the set if you find that helpful.
List of Best Management Practices
Key Go-To Organizations in Oregon
There are organizations around the state that would like to help you with your effort. See the list!
If your non-profit or government ogranization is available to provide assistance to schools/districts, and you would like to be added to this list, please contact us.
Thank You!
Relevant Rules and Regulations
It’s important to be aware of all relevant rules and regulations. This list is specific to Oregon.
Funding Sources to Assist Schools
The SOSI Topic Team has listed the following funding opportunities of which we are aware, that occur on a regular basis:
- Energy Savings Performance Contracting
Perhaps one of the biggest obstacles to school districts becoming more energy efficient is finding funding to upgrade their facilities. An option rapidly gaining popularity across the country is called Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC). In this type of alternative contracting project, a single company is contracted to provide a complete facility solution to save energy and resources in existing buildings. This Energy Service Company (ESCO) designs upgrades around the utility cost saving benefits of the improvements and whatever needs are most pressing for the district. Furthermore, as part of providing audit, design, project management, and financing/grant assistance services the ESCO also guarantees the amount of energy savings to be realized from the completed project. This allows the school district to secure financing and use the annual energy savings to help pay for the cost of the improvements. The ESCO will compensate the district for any shortfall in the event that the energy savings targets are not achieved. This cash flow, along with funds available from the Business Energy Tax Credit (BETC - which can be utilized through a tax-liable pass-through partner), the Energy Trust of Oregon (ETO) rebates, and other incentives, allows school districts to make upgrades they otherwise would not have room for in their budget. The end result is more efficient, sustainable facilities with better indoor air quality and improved student comfort.
Oregon Public Contracting Statute recognizes ESPC as a legal contracting vehicle for energy efficiency upgrades in public buildings. In February 2008 the Oregon legislature passed HB 3612 giving the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) the legal authority to establish the qualification criteria for selecting ESCOs to perform ESPC services in state and local government buildings in Oregon. Over the next several months ODOE will be working to pre-qualify ESCOs that state and local governments may choose to contract for ESPC services. For more information contact Brandon Adams with the Oregon Department of Energy at Brandon.Adams@state.or.us or visit http://www.oregon.gov/ENERGY/CONS/school/perfcontract.shtml.
Thanks to David Palmer, TAC and Brandon Adams, ODOE, for providing this information!
Barriers to Achieving Sustainability
The SOSI Topic Team has considered what the current barriers to sustainability are. These may include areas that an individual school or district can address, or may require state or even federal action.
Training Opportunities for School Personnel
Training is often a key to improving sustainability. Here is a list of potential opportunities for this topic area.
For additional resources including tools, websites, policies, case studies and curriculum, go to the “Other Resources” section