Utility Service Santee Cooper owned by the state has begun one pilot program aimed at saving energy which has helped the School district of Horry County spend $596,000, the previous year to set up sensors for detecting occupancy in around 3000 classrooms in the county, which is famous for its tourist hot spot, Myrtle Beach.
It will take only two years for getting monetary savings stemming from unspent kilowatt hours because of this investment in energy saving.
According to the supervisor for Energy management for the school district, Paul Hucks, “everybody needs to be aware of his carbon footprint.” During his growing up years, electricity was abundant and much less costly. Now the scenario has changed. For instance you must surely turn off the light when you are leaving a room.
Due to the installation of sensor project of the school district and the Santee Cooper system that saves kilowatt hours to the tune of 2 million, which is enough to electrify 150 homes, a rebate was offered by the utility amounting to $93,400 to the school district.
Reduce-the-use campaign for energy saving was tested in the Horry school district by the Utility for its electric commercial customers. Last week, the project for rebate was launched by Santee Cooper for every one of its 30,000 clients in Horry, Berkeley and Georgetown counties hoping that energy efficient materials and devices will be installed for energy saving and reduce the need for power.
According to Marc Tye, vice president of Santee Cooper’s renewable energy and conservation department, the Utility wants to target users of high energy who have the most potential for saving. They are trying to inspire their business clients to take up more efficient energy and energy saving technologies as they can get rebates, reduce energy consumption in the long term and substantial monetary savings.
The Reduce the Use campaign amounting to $113 million set in motion in 2009 by Santee Cooper helps to save money for businesses by fixing motion sensors, new lighting, refrigeration, air-conditioning and heating systems.
For example, by replacing fluorescent bulbs by energy saving lighting or providing sensors for occupancy and controls for day lighting, companies can get 25 cents from saved Watt or from $30 up to $50 for each control or sensor.
For upgrading air conditioning and heating, businesses can get rebates around $75 for a ton, which depends on selected equipment and the efficiency of the equipment. They can earn up to $100- $200 for a system for installation of quality, insulation or duct sealing and tune-ups for heat pumps.


