About the Data

Energy Data

Our Energy Data is powered by EnergyCAP, a third party accounting software that specializes in cost avoidance calculations in order to validate energy savings, track utility bills, and manage energy data. With EnergyCAP, Get2Green can track any energy or non‐energy commodity and any type of bill detail, then produce and distribute meaningful reports.

Data from EnergyCAP is exported and then applied to the FCPS Dashboard software on a monthly basis. Utility bill information is always a month behind which is why data on the dashboard does not display the current month information.

Factors That May Affect Utility Use and Cost

Severe weather effects put a strain on heating and cooling equipment. Equipment must work harder and run longer on extremely hot or cold days.

Unoccupied buildings use less energy than occupied buildings. Winter break, spring break, and other school holidays are great opportunities for energy savings if buildings are properly shut down.

Equipment upgrades may be needed for outdated and less energy efficient models to reduce energy usage.

Equipment sometimes malfunctions and uses more energy until it is fixed.

The more people a building contains, the more energy it takes equipment to keep rooms at comfortable temperatures. The amount of heat generated by having a roomful of people requires more energy to cool that room.

Generally speaking, the greater the square footage of a school building, the more energy it takes to heat and cool.

Trailer/Modular Additions to schools are not as efficient as the permanent school building.

Renovations typically cause significant temporary increases to energy use due to the changes to the building envelope and energy needed to power construction equipment.

Utility rates can change when contracts when renewed. The rate charged can also vary at some schools due to the amount of energy used being above or below a certain level.

Some utilities are billed on a 30-day cycle while others, like water, are billed on a 90-day (quarterly) cycle. Some utilities are billed as estimates, so we may get rebates back at the end of the year for the difference in actual usage.

Eco-Schools Data

The Eco-schools dashboard utilizes data exported from The NWF Eco-Schools website.

Through school-based action teams of students, administrators, educators and community volunteers, Eco-Schools combines effective "green" management of the school grounds, facilities and the curriculum. Schools that are certified in the program undergo a thorough application process and succeed in organizing and implementing a comprehensive assessment of their school.

Once a school has and implemented these seven steps and registered on the NWF Eco-School website, it can apply for an Eco-Schools award. There are three levels of the award system. The first two levels are the Bronze and Silver awards which are self-assessed. The top level is the Green Flag award, which must be assessed by an Eco-Schools USA assessor and renewed every two years. A school is considered to be a permanent Eco-School once it has gained its fourth Green Flag.

*Each school is responsible for entering their schools data on the NWF site. Data is then exported form the NWF site and applied to the FCPS dashboard software on a monthly basis or as any changes in a schools Award Level status occur.

Greenhouse Gas Data

The world's leading scientists agree that human-induced greenhouse gas emissions are a significant contributor to global warming and that reducing those emissions is one of the most significant challenges confronting the world today. FCPS is committed to continue to take innovative and cost-effective steps to help our country achieve climate stabilization. The School Board Policy 8542 - Environmental Stewardship is intended to prioritize the practices to be developed and implemented by staff members in order to address global warming and to meet other important environmental stewardship initiatives.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development developed “The Greenhouse Gas Protocol,” an international framework to understand, quantify, and manage greenhouse gas emissions. The Climate Registry worked with the WRI GHG team to develop its “Local Government Operations Protocol,” which provides a consistent framework for local governments across North America to measure and publicly report their greenhouse gas emissions.

The FCPS GHG emissions inventory is developed using the Climate Registry’s “Local Government Operations Protocol Version 1.1” released May 2010.

What is a Greenhouse Gas Inventory?

A greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory is an accounting of the amount of greenhouse gases emitted to or removed from the atmosphere over a specific period of time (e.g., one year.) A greenhouse gas inventory also provides information on the activities that cause emissions and removals, as well as background on the methods used to make the calculations. Policy makers use greenhouse gas inventories to track emission trends, develop strategies and policies and assess progress. Operations managers use GHG inventories to evaluate a project or program’s impact and to prioritize projects. Scientists use greenhouse gas inventories as inputs to atmospheric and economic models.

EPA- Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator

Recycling & Trash

When a trash or recycling dumpster is picked up from a FCPS facility, the truck uses two arms to lift the dumpster. As the dumpster is lifted, it is weighed. This data is recorded for each FCPS facility, sent to the FCPS Facilities department, and shared via the Recycling dashboard.