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Mount Vernon Schools officials have entered into a $44 million energy performance contract (EPC) with Honeywell Building Solutions, the largest ever awarded to a school district in this state.
According to officials, “through the EPC, the district will take significant steps to become energy efficient by upgrading or replacing significant numbers of aged and obsolete infrastructure, including boilers, lighting fixtures and ventilations systems.”
According to Ken Silver, the district’s Assistant Superintendent of Business, over the next 18 months, 34 boilers in 15 buildings will be replaced. More than 15,000 light fixtures will be outfitted with LED lights, which burn longer and more efficiently than the fluorescent lights currently being used district-wide.
“These are some of the oldest boilers in the district that literally cost thousands of dollars and countless man-hours each year to maintain,” Silver noted. “They will be replaced with state-of-the-art, energy efficient equipment that will provide worry-free heat to our buildings for years to come.”
The EPC also calls for the installation of modern lighting controls that will allow teachers and administrators to adjust the light in the room based on occupancy, eliminating wasteful use of light in empty rooms and hallways after hours.
“This is just another example of how innovation can reduce costs and create long-term, sustainable benefits for our schools and community,” Superintendent Kenneth Hamilton added.
Additionally, Silver praised the agreement with Honeywell Building Solutions because it represents no impact to local taxpayers in Mount Vernon.
“The best part of this project is that there is no cost to the district or taxpayers in Mount Vernon. The entire project is self-funded through the savings achieved by running a more efficient energy program throughout our district,” he said. The energy savings are guaranteed through the EPC and should the district come up short on the expected guaranteed savings, Honeywell will make up the difference.
“It is a win-win for our schools, the community and the environment.”
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