Claremont
According to a report from Johnson Controls of Milwaukee, Wis., that was presented by SAU 6 Business Manager Mike O’Neill at last Wednesday’s School Board meeting, savings in energy costs in the first full year of operation — June 2015 to June 2016 — was $260,000, which was $30,000 more than Johnson had projected.
The school district signed a $3.57 million contract with Johnson to make energy upgrades including installation of a biomass boiler at Stevens High School, a wood pellet boiler at the middle school, window replacement, water conservation equipment and new insulation. The work at Stevens coincided with a $12.6 million school renovation project that was completed in 2014.
The report states nearly half the of the $260,000 in savings — $124,000 — were realized from the biomass boilers installed at the high school and middle school that switched those heating systems from oil to wood pellets or chips.
At the Sugar River Technical Center, a condensing boiler that uses propane was installed to replace the oil-fired system, saving more than $27,000, according to the report from Johnson Controls. And the switch to propane from oil at the district’s three elementary schools saved an estimated $46,000.
“They are much more efficient burning,” O’Neill said on Friday.
O’Neill also said the water and sewer savings of $17,000 were a big factor in the overall reduction of utility costs. Low-flow water fixtures were part of the upgrades.
According to a report from O’Neill’s office, between July 1, 2014 and June 30 this year, the district has realized savings of more than $381,000 in total utilities expenses, which include electricity, heat and water and sewer.
O’Neill and Ned Raynolds, account executive with Johnson Controls, acknowledged that some of the lower costs were the result of a drop in fuel prices and a mild winter last year but the upgrades significantly reduced usage.
“The savings in an energy performance contract are measured in units of energy, such as gallons of fuel or kilowatt hours,” Raynolds said. “In this case, we met or exceeded those targets.”
O’Neill said the annual debt payment on the borrowing is around $173,000, which is less than the annual savings achieved with the new equipment.
Electricity costs at the high school did increase because air conditioning was installed in some parts of the building and the addition of computer servers, but heating costs have fallen from $351,000 in 2012 to $192,000 in 2016, according to O’Neill.
He also said insulation in the attic areas of the elementary schools was another important piece in the overall reduction of heating costs.
Weatherization saved about $11,500 district wide, according to the report from Johnson. Overall, more than 55 percent of the $260,000 in energy savings were at the high school and middle school.
Raynolds said that while dollars saved are important, energy performance contracts serve a larger purpose for Claremont and similar public institutions that have limited resources.
“It enabled them to make capital improvements they desperately needed but were unable to make,” Raynolds said. “We did boiler replacement and other things (windows) that took those costs out of the bonded (renovation). They never would have been able to do those things with a tax levy. The contracts are budget neutral or better.”
Raynolds further noted the upgrades improved the learning environment, the savings will continue after the bond is paid off and the equipment will last well beyond the financing period.
The full 82-page report will be available on the SAU 6 web site. O’Neill said the report, which he termed as being heavy on technical analysis, cost $25,000 and he did not think it was necessary for the School Board to require it every year.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
