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| By G. Michael Dobbs Managing Editor SPRINGFIELD For the past two years, the city of Springfield has been modernizing the physical plants of many of its municipal buildings and last week the renovations paid off in a big way. Bay State Gas presented the city with a check for $737,113 as a rebate as part of its partnership initiative with the city and the state's Division of Energy Resources at a press conference conducted in the boiler room at Duggan Middle School. A change over of boilers at the school was one improvement made city-wide and officials gathered before one of the new boilers with an efficiency rating of 96 percent that has replaced the old boilers with a 65 to 70 percent efficiency rating for the check presentation. The renovations made by the city so far will conserve almost 350,000 therms a year or enough energy to heat 4,000 homes for an entire year. School Committee Member Christopher Collins said a $600,000 reduction in the new school budget for energy costs shows an immediate impact from the renovations and said that money can be spent directly on education. The renovations were part of a first group and Patrick Sullivan, director of Parks, Buildings and Recreation Management, said he is seeking state aid to help pay for the second round of improvements. Joe Forest, the city's facilities engineer, said the first round of improvements cost $15 million with $12 million allocated to school buildings. He said it would take the city just 12 years to recoup the investment in these buildings. Sullivan said the city is now looking at the needs of buildings in the second round and studying their needs. The improvements would have to be financially feasible he added and have a payback factor. Sullivan thanked the Finance Control Board (FCB) and Mayor Domenic Sarno for their support of the program. FCB Executive Director Stephen Lisauskas said the savings from the improvements was a factor in stabilizing the city's budget. The improvements included: Dryden Elementary Basic energy management system, boiler replacement, steam trap replacement, radiator valve replacement, network controller, vending miser Beal Elementary Lighting and controls, basic energy management system, boiler replacement, network controller, vending miser Boland Elementary Lighting and controls, basic energy management system, chemical-less water treatment for chillers, network controller, vending m miser Bowles Elementary Basic energy management system, boiler replacement, steam trap replacement radiator valve replacement, network controller, vending miser Bridge Academy Lighting and controls, basic energy management system, boiler replacement, pipe insulation, motors/drives, network controller, attic insulation Brightwood Elementary Basic energy management system, boiler replacement, network controller, vending miser Brookings Elementary Basic energy management system, boiler replacement, steam trap replacement, radiator valve replacement, network controller, vending miser City Hall Complex lighting and controls, basic energy management system, boiler replacement, steam trap replacement, radiator valve replacement, chemical-less water treatment for chillers, network controller, vending miser Deberry Elementary Lighting and controls, basic energy management system, boiler replacement, steam trap replacement, radiator valve replacement, vending mi ser Duggan Middle School Basic energy management system, boiler replacement, network controller, vending miser, pool cover East Springfield Library Lighting and controls, steam trap replacement Ells Elementary Basic energy management system, boiler replacement, network controller, vending miser Fire HQ Lighting and controls, basic energy management system, boiler replacement, motors/drives, vending miser Van Sickle Indian Orchard, Harris Elementary Demand Limiting Advance EMS to control power demands Load shedding Mary Walsh Elementary Basic energy management system, boiler replacement, steam trap replacement, radiator valve replacement, vending miser Kiley Middle School Lighting and controls, basic energy management system, boiler replacement, vending miser, pool cover Liberty Branch Library Steam trap replacement, radiator valve replacement, attic insulation Springfield Municipal OPS Center & Tapley Street Garage Lighting and controls, basic energy management system, network controller, vending miser Sumner Ave Elementary School Lighting and controls, Advance EMS to control power demands load shedding, network controller, vending miser Warner Elementary Basic energy management system, boiler replacement, steam trap replacement, radiator valve replacement, vending mi ser Washington Elementary Lighting and controls, basic energy management system, boiler replacement, radiator valve replacement, pipe insulation, network controller, vending miser White Elementary Lighting and controls, basic energy management system, boiler replacement, radiator valve replacement, pipe insulation, network controller, vending miser Pottenger Elementary Basic energy management system, boiler replacement, vending miser Glickman Elementary Basic energy management system, boiler replacement, steam trap replacement, radiator valve replacement, network controller, vending miser Lincoln Elementary Lighting and controls, basic energy management system, boiler replacement, vending miser Zanetti Elementary Lighting and controls, basic energy management system, boiler replacement, pipe insulation, network controller, vending miser Springfield Police Department Lighting and controls, advanced energy management system, boiler replacement, network controller, vending miser, chiller replacement, cogeneration. |