Lake County School District

Case Study

Lake County School District serves the community of Leadville and surrounding rural mountain areas. The district sought to evaluate energy efficiency upgrades to reduce utility usage across its facilities. Through a competitive solicitation, Millig was selected from the Colorado Energy Office-approved vendor list to evaluate viable improvement projects.

The goal of the project was to reduce operating costs, address aging infrastructure, improve the learning environment, and reduce carbon emissions while ensuring solutions were financially viable and operationally sustainable.

Millig Design Build conducted a comprehensive evaluation of district facilities, including utility data analysis, on-site assessments, and energy modeling. This effort identified significant lighting efficiency opportunities across all buildings, as well as operational deficiencies within the high school HVAC system that had not been properly commissioned since its installation approximately ten years earlier.

Phase I Solutions

  • Implemented a district-wide LED lighting retrofit program utilizing a hybrid approach of tube retrofits, new fixtures, and retrofit kits

  • Expanded the existing network-based lighting controls at the high school and commissioned the system to maximize savings potential


  • Added local controls at other facilities to minimize runtimes and reduce utility costs


  • Improved lighting quality while reducing maintenance concerns associated with aging fluorescent fixtures and ballasts

Phase II Solutions

  • Designed and implemented HVAC system and controls improvements at the high school to address comfort concerns and high utility operating costs


  • Developed customized sequences of operation aligned with modern HVAC best practices and the unique demands of a high-altitude learning environment


  • Evaluated system performance, tested all major functions, and corrected operational deficiencies to improve reliability


  • Enhanced system scheduling, control strategies, and overall performance to improve occupant comfort and reduce energy consumption

www.lakecountyschools.net

  • $723,000

  • ESPC

  • 281,431

  • $47,167

  • $14,466

  • Jim Mulcey

    Chief Financial Officer
    jmulcey@lakecountyschools.net

    719-293-0489