New Generator to Save $37,000 Annually

The hot water pipes and electric service lines are in the ground and tied into the high school boiler.

Next comes the co-generator's installation.

It will be installed outside, at the back of the high school, and be ready for testing in early June, said V, assistant town engineer.

The co-generator is a part of the energy reduction plan approved by Town Meeting s year ago.

The new machine will run on natural gas and send hot water into the school boiler system reducing its reliance on electricity, said Masone.

Also, School Facilities Director Garrett Baker says the new generator will save wear and tear on the school boiler.

Masone says the generator will save $37,000 a year.

The machine will cost the town an additional $9,000 in natural gas annually but that cost will more than be offset by the $46,000 saved each year in electricity costs.

The machine operates when the school's heating system operates.

The cogenerator is the latest improvement funded through the ESCO Project, which has a goal of reducing by 20 percent the town's energy consumption over five years.

The town opted to contract with Johnson Controls a year ago, ponying up a project fee of $940,000 to implement and install projects that save energy and money.

In exchange, Johnson conducted energy audits of a dozen buildings in town and designed projects to help meet those buildings' energy needs.

The cogenerator project comes in at $440,00 but the town is not on the hook for any of it or the money for other improvements.

The $940,000 project fee paid to Johnson covers the cost of designing and installing energy efficient items such as the cogenerator or the light retrofit at Town Hall or the heating control system at the library.

In addition, the new cogenerator will qualify the town for about $10,000 annually from the sale of alternative energy credits.