HALLOWELL -- Frank Farias has spearheaded an initiative to replace lights throughout much of Richmond's Marcia Buker Elementary School, swapping inefficient fixtures in the school's hallways, main office and multipurpose room for longer-lasting fluorescents.

"It's a great opportunity to get money back and keep rolling it in," Farias, the Richmond School Department maintenance supervisor, said of the Efficiency Maine-sponsored lighting rebate program that funded the overhaul.

Farias was one of dozens of school-facilities managers and superintendents who attended an event Friday at Hall-Dale Elementary School aimed at helping school officials improve energy efficiency in their districts' buildings.

The nonprofit Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships organized much of the Maine School Facilities Summit. The state Department of Education and Department of Environmental Protection were among the event sponsors.

After performing work on the Buker school, Farias said he is preparing for a major lighting revamp at Richmond High School.

He attended Friday's conference to learn more about what he could do to maximize Richmond schools' energy efficiency.

"We're trying to make a lot of improvements to the schools," he said.

Presenters included architects, Department of Education officials and Maine Energy Education Program representatives. They discussed involving teachers and students in identifying energy problems and brainstorming solutions, shoring up structures to limit energy waste and using alternative technologies for heat.

At one session, facilities directors experimented with infrared imaging cameras to spot temperature differences, a way to detect air leaks. At another session, they learned about potential pitfalls to avoid when undertaking renovations.

When sealing a window, for example, renovators should be careful not to allow water to be trapped in the window frame.

In the elementary school's gymnasium, more than a dozen companies and organizations displayed information about their products and services.

Officials from the state's Efficiency Maine program answered questions about energy audits, rebates for lighting changes and Efficiency Maine's building operator's certification program.

"A lot of schools are getting really involved with our programs," said Tim Clark, an Efficiency Maine field staff director.

Carolyn Sarno, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships' senior program manager, said the facilities summit deliberately focused on helping school districts work with their current buildings.

"It's not only focused on the construction process," said Sarno, who coordinated much of the summit. "What we're doing here is focusing on existing building stock."

School Administrative District 30 Superintendent Michael Lambert said the facilities summit introduced him to potential measures his district could take at its schools in Lee, Springfield, Webster and Winn.

"We have some old school buildings that are not particular energy-efficient," Lambert said.

Building improvements, he said, hold the most potential for energy cost savings in his district.

Matthew Stone -- 623-3811, Ext. 435

mstone@centralmaine.com