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Upgrades at Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School Cut Energy Consumption by more than 50 Percent
Trane presenting Old Colony with Energy Efficiency Leader award
Rochester, Mass. – Energy efficient infrastructure upgrades at Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School have reduced energy consumption by more than 50 percent while improving the learning and teaching environment. An ongoing service and maintenance program helps ensure that all systems continue to run at optimum levels.
Infrastructure improvements, completed in 2011, were needed to improve the academic environment, increase energy and operational efficiency and sustainability, and reduce energy costs.
“These improvements help Old Colony achieve its most critical objective which is to provide the best learning environment for our students,” said Gary Brown, superintendent-director for Old Colony. “It’s even better that these upgrades reduce energy costs and increase sustainability and are funded through energy savings.”
Old Colony completed the upgrades without increasing taxes or depleting capital budgets. Funding was provided through a tax exempt municipal lease, and payments are made entirely from energy savings resulting from the project.
The project was funded by a performance contract enabled in Massachusetts through M.G.L. CH25A,11I which allowed the school to use future energy and operational savings to finance infrastructure improvements up front. Performance contracting is a funding option that provides measurable educational results to support strategic objectives.
In recognition of Old Colony’s commitment to energy and operational efficiency and sustainability, Trane is presenting Old Colony with the “Energy Efficiency Leader Award.”
Old Colony will be recognized at an award presentation at 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 12 in the cafetorium at Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School, 476 North Ave., Rochester, MA.
Chris Marshall, general manager for comprehensive solutions for Trane New England, will present the award to Gary Brown, superintendent-director at Old Colony and Bruce Kaiser, business manager at Old Colony.
The upgrades represent a major step in transforming the high school into a high performance building that links to its educational mission. High performance buildings take a whole-building approach to performance while creating spaces that are reliable, safe, healthy, comfortable and efficient.
High performance buildings meet specific standards for energy and water consumption, system reliability and uptime, environmental compliance and occupant comfort. All standards are set to deliver established outcomes that help building owners and occupants achieve their business missions.
Prior to undertaking the upgrades, Old Colony collaborated with Trane on an audit to identify opportunities for improvement. Based on the results of the audit, Old Colony leaders selected energy conservation measures that best met their objectives.
Old Colony implemented a building automation system which provides centralized building control and enables remote access while monitoring results to help ensure that systems continue to run at optimum levels.
Other upgrades included installing 18 roof-top heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems to increase efficiency and 54 variable air volume air handling systems which provide precise temperature control within specific zones. A high efficiency boiler plant helps optimize operations and a photovoltaic solar array was added to increase the use of alternative energy sources. Old Colony also implemented high efficiency lighting retrofits.
Other retrofits included kitchen upgrades, shop improvements, updated dust collection and welding exhaust systems, and the installation of devices to limit energy consumption in vending machines. Improvements to the school’s building envelope help ensure that efficiency is maintained through the facility.
Old Colony and Trane also collaborated on an energy awareness poster campaign in 2011 to increase classroom sustainability education.
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About Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School
Old Colony is a regional vocational technical high school offering a broad range of vocational careers for students in the area. Old Colony graduates have taken a number of paths, some choosing to go directly to work, while others continue their education at colleges and universities such as Brown University, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Johnson & Wales, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Boston, and Dartmouth, Bristol Community College, as well as Northeastern University, to name a few. Old Colony is distinguished with the highest award of National Honor Society Service Projects of any high school in the country. For more information, visit http://www.oldcolony.us/.
About Ingersoll Rand
Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR) advances the quality of life by creating and sustaining safe, comfortable and efficient environments. Our people and our family of brands—including Club Car®, Ingersoll Rand®, Schlage®, Thermo King® and Trane® —work together to enhance the quality and comfort of air in homes and buildings; transport and protect food and perishables; secure homes and commercial properties; and increase industrial productivity and efficiency. Trane solutions optimize indoor environments with a broad portfolio of energy efficient heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, building and contracting services, parts support and advanced control. Ingersoll Rand is a $14 billion global business committed to a world of sustainable progress and enduring results. For more information, visit ingersollrand.com or trane.com.
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