The Energy Study Group met on Tuesday evening, September 1st.
Attendees included: Brian Beaverstock, Sean Asdot, Terri Lane, Rich Edmonds, Mark Fisher, Harold
Losey, Vlad Hromis, Paul Twomey, Tom Jameson, Ben Brown, Ted Stiles - Yankee Thermal
Imaging,,Keith McBrien - GDS Associates
The purpose of this meeting was to review the Detailed Energy Audit and Heating System Feasibility
Study report prepared by Keith McBrien of GDS Associates and provided earlier in the week by Ted Stiles
of Yankee Thermal Imaging. This is available on the School Board web site under the Energy Study
Group link then the Information link.
http://sau53.org/chboard.htm
The majority of the time was spent reviewing tables 1, 2 & 3 in the report.
Table 1:
Options B1 and B2 use $10k for replacement of the pipeline from the oil tank to the oil burners. In reality,
the estimate for this work is $49k, thus the improvement costs for these 2 options need to increase by
$39k.
These options assume an oil price of $2.50/gal. Current pricing is $1.50/gal and general consensus is that
it will remain pretty stable in this area for the foreseeable future.
Options B3, B4 & B5 don't include the cost of removing the buried oil tank and pipeline. This is in the
ballpark of $5k - Brian will confirm.
Option B3 - Propane price assumed to be $1.73/gal - price is more stable than oil. Propane is 10%-15%
more efficient when burning but only generates ~75% of the heat that oil generates per gallon.
Option B4 - Lots of discussion around the wood pellet option.
Pellets provide a more controllable heat than chips. With 3 small furnaces, they can all be brought up on
the coldest days and only 1 of them on warmer days - no need for a separate back-up oil or propane
burner.
Only 3 bulk pellet providers in the area at this time. The concern regarding pellet availability is much less
for bulk. Bagging pellets isn't required and the demand of consumers all wanting to buy all their pellets for
the season at the same time doesn't exist for bulk. Pellet burners are being installed all the time so the
market for providers is only increasing - there's little concern about unavailability. However, dried corn
and even cocoa shells (from Lindt chocolate) have been used when necessary.
There are fewer companies providing service for wood pellet boilers but they do exist and you need a
wood boiler technician. The wood boiler operates much like a typical boiler. However, the delivery system
is completely different.
It's also possible to sell Thermal RECs but the return is small.
Option B5 - the VRF is an expensive solution and needs a full power analysis of the building before it can
be deemed feasible. However, the benefit is that it provides air conditioning in addition to heat. There's no
ROI based on its own merit, particularly if you include the power analysis. However, there is a large
rebate.
Table 2 - Rebates:
Options B1, B2, B3 - no rebates.
B4 - wood - $45k rebate from state - requires an energy audit but that's what we're reviewing now. Little
risk of this dropping from the upcoming state budget.
B5 - VRF - $89k rebate from fees in your electric bill
Table 3 - Energy Efficiency Improvements:
CCS-1 - The energy management system doesn't have a fast ROI but is a large benefit to Sean, who will
be managing the new system.
CCS-2 - This has a short ROI because of the long run time of these external lights.
CCS-3 - Classroom lights typically have a short run time and are well controlled by teachers and even
students so will likely have a longer ROI.
CCS-4 - Lighting in common areas and hallways are less controlled so will have a longer tun time and
result in a short ROI.
CCS-5 - Lots of discussion on building shell improvements - doors are loose, poor insulation in walls and
where the walls meet the roof. Lots of suggestions for tightening up the building.
None of these improvements take into account the maintenance costs - replacing lights, painting old
windows, etc. This will decrease the ROI but is very hard to measure.
Next steps:
Brian will provide the oil pipeline replacement quote as well as the oil tank and pipeline removal quote to
Keith at GDS.
Keith will update the report with this new information for a more accurate cost estimate for the various
heating system solutions.
Brian will provide the detailed costs for the LED lighting upgrade already performed in the classroom at
CCS to Keith at GDS.
Keith will generate a rebate request for this project.
Ted will take the information from information from the building "blower test" and put together a detailed
proposal for energy improvements to the building.
This study group will meet again next week to discuss these proposals in more detail and try to develop a
plan with which to move forward. The general plan is to pull together all of the projects we want to
accomplish then determine if, together, they meet the requirements for a bond. We can get more realistic
quotes so we have good numbers to go forward. Projects may include:
- heating system upgrade
- building eneregy improvements
- lighting upgrades
- solar panels
- generator
- other???
If we delay the heating system upgrade, it means we're going to try to maintain the existing oil burner for
another heating system. This means the pipeline will be out of compliance and the existing boiler
concerns (small leak in one of the boiler units) will need to be monitored.
The next meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday, September 8.