MEDWAY — Superintendent Armand Pires and Facilities Director Jim Kane are pleased to announce the completion of several energy efficient projects within the district.
In August 2020, the Town of Medway was awarded a $152,488 grant as part of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources Green Communities program. Additional contributions from Eversource Energy and the Town of Medway allowed the district to complete six energy-saving projects in the middle and high schools. The projects began in December 2020 and were completed in January.
“We are grateful to the Department of Energy Resources, Eversource Energy and the Town of Medway for their contributions to these projects,” Kane said. “Implementing these clean energy solutions in our middle and high schools will help the district save energy and money for many years to come.”
The town recently published a video featuring Medway Department of Public Works Compliance Coordinator Stephanie Carlisle explaining the projects completed at Medway High School and Medway Middle School through the Green Communities grant. View the video here.
Medway High School
At the high school, all first-floor lighting for wings 1-3, including the gymnasium, was upgraded to LED. This project is expected to save close to 50,000 Kilowatt hours, which is equivalent to powering six homes for a year.
In the high school’s fitness and aerobics room, two Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) were added to air handler units, which help to regulate temperature and airflow. Before this project, air handler units could only be turned on or off. With the addition of VFDs, air handler units are able to use just the amount of energy and power needed.
The high school also added a hood damper to the art room. Before the use of a hood damper, there was an uncomfortable draft in the classroom which required additional heating or cooling. The use of the motorized damper helps to control the draft and improves the indoor air quality, while also saving money and energy.
The final project at the high school was to add a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) and motor to the cafeteria kitchen hood, regulating energy and natural gas used by the exhaust fan.
Medway Middle School
At the middle school, both gymnasiums were retrofitted with LED lighting. This is expected to save approximately 26,000 Kilowatt hours per year and just over $4,000 each year. The middle school auditorium was also retrofitted with LED lighting. The town had previously budgeted $25,000 to upgrade the auditorium lighting. However, through the use of utility incentives the town only had to spend $8,000, resulting in a savings of $17,000 for a project that was already planned to be completed.
Overall, these six projects were completed using the $152,488 Green Communities grant, $33,000 from Eversource Energy and an additional $8,000 from the Town of Medway. Together, these projects are expected to save the district approximately $16,000 per year and up to 90,000 Kilowatt hours and 1,500 natural gas therms per year.
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