The Vicksburg Warren School District is set to save more than $10 million in energy costs over the next 16 years or so years, thanks to an $8.5 million contract it entered into Monday with Johnson Controls.

The best thing about the contract, said Brad Mason, account executive with Johnson Controls, is that it will cost Vicksburg taxpayers no additional funds.

The school district received a zero percent interest loan from the federal government, administered through the Mississippi Department of Education, which it will use to pay for the contract with Johnson Controls.

The funding is coming from the government’s Qualified Zone Academy Bond program, Mason said.

“We will be upgrading all of the school lighting with some LED and more efficient lighting, as well as upgrading most of the HVAC equipment to something more efficient and putting in a new energy management control system,” Mason said.

Other improvements will include upgrading toilets to those that use less water when they flush and installing sensors in the district’s trash bins.

“We will have sensors in the trash bends, which will tell the trash haulers when they need to come and empty them,” he said.

He said energy savings the first year should be $550,895, which is guaranteed.

The district should save more than $10 million over the life of the project, Mason said.

Another boon for Vicksburg is that all of the lighting for the school district project will be made right here in the city.

“That’s what makes this so special. We will be using resources from right here in Vicksburg. Eaton Cooper Lighting actually manufactures the lights we’re going to use in Vicksburg,” Mason said.

He said he hopes the district will see other savings, too, such as participation in a rebate program called Entergy Solutions, through Entergy.

“Entergy will cut them a check,” Mason said.

Chad Shealy, superintendent of the Vicksburg Warren School District, said the opportunity comes at a good time.

“It was an incredible opportunity,” Shealy said. “We have been very frugal for a long time and have tried to extend the life of a lot of equipment through maintenance. The problem is when you have multiple things hit you at one time. We have boilers and chillers that are probably 35 years past their expected life. And, money for those repairs come straight out of the general fund.”

Shealy said, basically, this program allows the school district to take what they are spending now on energy costs and “get all new stuff. We still have roofs that need work, but this at least gets us on a more consistent basis in terms of spending.”