Yorktown and Cortlandt region

News from the Ossining Union Free School District on an energy contract it is seeking for school infrastructure improvements:

The Ossining Union Free School District is pursuing an Energy Performance Contract that will enable the district to make needed infrastructure improvements at no additional cost to the taxpayers.

Under the terms of the contract, Honeywell Building Solutions, working with the District’s Construction Manager, Arris Contracting Co. Inc., will replace the antiquated boiler at Brookside School with a new energy-efficient boiler. Honeywell also will install high-efficiency lighting throughout the district and occupancy sensors that will turn off lights when no one is in a room.

Other improvements will include building controls that allow room temperature to be controlled from a central location, rather than by individual thermostats. In addition, variable speed drives will be installed so motors can work at less than 100 percent capacity when less energy is needed.

Utility bill savings that result from the installation of new high-efficiency systems will be used to pay for the cost of upgrades, resulting in a budget-neutral upgrade. As a first step in the process, Honeywell will conduct a detailed energy usage analysis for the district to determine where replacing old and inefficient systems could result in energy savings.

By September, a formal contract should be prepared for the Board of Education’s consideration and approval. It is estimated that contract plans and specifications should be submitted to the state Department of Education by December and approval obtained by April. The upgrades should be completed by January 2014.

The Brookside boiler system, estimated to cost about $1.2 million to $1.5 million, was the only boiler system not included in the recently approved construction bond. By taking advantage of an Energy Performance Contract, the district can have all boilers and controls replaced without increasing taxes to cover the cost.