How federal energy tax credits can bring cost-effective cooling to classrooms in Washington state
As warmer weather returns, district leaders are facing an uncomfortable reality: many classrooms without cooling are unable to keep students and staff safe in today’s climate. Several school districts are tapping into a reliable source for their heating and cooling: the ground.
Undaunted hosted the webinar, “Cool Classrooms on a Budget: How Federal Energy Tax Credits Can Help“ to share how school districts can incorporate ground-source heat pumps to support comfortable classrooms, minimize maintenance needs, improve building resilience, and reduce air pollution.
In partnership with the Washington Department of Commerce’s Clean Energy Tax Credit Assistance Program and Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG), this session featured speakers with deep expertise in implementing ground-source heat pumps in schools and the federal funding that can make it affordable.
Ron Fues, Project Director at McKinstry, an energy services company, provided an overview of ground-source heat pumps, their adoption by Washington schools, and key considerations for school capital project teams.
Taylor Vick, Capital Projects Mechanical Coordinator at Seattle Public Schools, described the district's decades-long experience maintaining and operating this technology, including the benefits it has brought.
Sara Ross, Co-Founder at UndauntedK12, provided a primer on the federal energy tax credit available to schools for ground-source heat pumps, which typically covers 30% of the project costs.
Kyra Wilmes, Program Coordinator at Lawyers for Good Government, highlighted the Clean Energy Tax Credit Assistance Program, which can provide Washington districts free support in claiming this tax credit.
District, industry, non-profit, government, and community leaders from across the state left with an understanding of ground-source heat pumps as a modern HVAC solution and how school districts can unlock this technology with federal dollars.
Watch the webinar, see the presentation slides, and explore additional resources below.
Understand the key concepts and benefits of modern HVAC systems.
Share this one-pager that provides an overview of the tax credit opportunity.
See examples of school districts that have received IRS reimbursement checks for ground-source heat pumps, including Seattle Public Schools, who received a $7,970,439 check!
Learn more about the Washington State Department of Commerce’s Clean Energy Tax Credit Assistance Program (CETCAP) and fill out an intake form for personalized assistance.
Thank you to Ron Fues, Taylor Vick, and Kyra Wilmes for lending their expertise and to the Washington Department of Commerce for sponsoring this event.
