Project Team Members: Deb LaSalle, Project Manager and Lead; Zach Bell, Data Analyst; John Gardner, Ph.D., P.E., Technical Lead

Timeline and Attribution: Verdant (2024-present); WSC (2023-2024)

Summary: Ms. LaSalle and her team delivered a strategic, data-driven sustainability approach to support the second largest school district in Idaho, made up of 22,000 students and over 50 facilities in cost savings through reduced energy use and consumption by supporting the following scopes of work:

• Technical Support to Sustainability Action Plan Roadmap: Development of  key performance indicators, , timelines, and project champions to enable data-informed decision-making and effective resource allocation.

• BETTER Analysis: Applied DOE’s Building Efficiency Targeting Tool for Energy Retrofits (BETTER) to benchmark facility performance, identify upgrade opportunities, and project energy savings.

• Feasibility Studies: Evaluated solar, high-efficiency lighting, and ground source heat pump (GSHP) upgrades, quantifying energy, cost, and GHG reduction potential, supporting a 50% carbon reduction goal within five years.

• Energy Use Intensity (EUI) Analysis: Analyzed EUI data to uncover efficiency opportunities and guide investment in underperforming sites.

• GHG Emissions Inventory: Completed a comprehensive inventory of Scopes 1, 2, and 3 (limited to waste and transportation) to identify carbon reduction opportunities.

• Financial Strategy:  Created a green revolving loan fund and supporting cash flow models to help the District finance long-term improvements and reinvest savings.

This work provided the District with a scalable framework for sustainability planning, enabling data-driven investments that reduce costs, enhance indoor environmental quality, and accelerate climate goals.