School energy initiative nears completion

At its January board meeting, the Manchester Board of Education voted to take out a $3.1 million government loan at 1.25% with 15-year financing to upgrade the district’s energy efficiency.

The district applied for the Qualified Zone Academy Bond through the U.S.Department of Education just before Christmas, and was one of the last schools to receive approval as the program is being discontinued.

The upgrades began in the spring and are on track be completed by the beginning of October, said Superintendent Nick Steinmetz on Monday.

Improvements have included interior and exterior LED lighting, high efficiency boilers and tankless water heaters for Klager and the high school, direct digital controls for all buildings, weather stripping, and the installation of solar panels, among other things.

“We are very close to completion!” Steinmetz said. “All of the interior/exterior light retrofitting is complete; all boilers have been updated or replaced; a central HVAC control unit has been installed, and the new turf athletic field is nearly complete (just waiting on the end zones to be wrapped up).

“The last remaining portion of the project is solar installation. That should begin within the next two weeks and be complete by the start of October.”

These changes and updates will help the district save a substantial amount on its energy costs over the coming year; in fact, Steinmetz says, the energy savings generated from all of these upgrades will cover the costs of the project repayment.

“ESG (our project management company) has gone a step further and guaranteed these savings,” he says. “If the project does not generate the anticipated savings, ESG covers the shortcomings. The athletic field provided (energy) savings in watering, fertilizing, mowing, and grass replacement.”

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.