Honeywell Helps Town of Tolland Upgrade Facilities and Cut Costs
Performance Contract Expected to Trim Energy Use and Utility Bills
Tolland will finance a portion of the building improvements with a 20-year, $10-million performance contract with Honeywell. As a result, the town can pay for most of the work with the annual cost savings, guaranteed by Honeywell, rather than drawing from additional public resources. The town also plans to supplement the investment with an estimated $350,000 in incentives from Connecticut Light & Power.
Among the improvements is the installation of geothermal heating and cooling at Tolland Middle School and Intermediate School. This renewable resource will help enable the schools to manage comfort by tapping into the constant temperatures below the earth’s surface to provide heat in the winter months and cool the facilities in summer.
“Public entities often need support making upgrades or they’ll continue deferring projects year after year, and the backlog and needed capital grow,” said Paul Orzeske, president of Honeywell Building Solutions. “Energy savings performance contracts are vital because they allow municipalities like Tolland to improve facilities in a way that benefits the town and its taxpayers.”
“This project helps the community avoid significant upfront costs while guaranteeing long-term savings from the equipment and conservation measures installed,” said Steve Werbner, Tolland town manager. “With Honeywell, the Town Council and Board of Education’s help, we were able to identify upgrades that would have a lasting impact on our buildings and schools. It’s a smart, cost-effective investment in the town’s infrastructure.”
The project includes a variety of enhancements:
• A new building automation system that will help enable facility operators to manage building systems in all four schools, such as HVAC, from a centralized location;
• HVAC mechanical upgrades, including new high-efficiency boilers;
• Updated lighting controls and energy efficient lighting;
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• Water conservation measures including low-flow toilets and faucets; and
• Weatherization improvements to minimize the loss of building conditioning.
And the work will impact facilities across Tolland, primarily the town’s high, middle, intermediate, and primary schools. Other buildings involved include the fire stations, Fire Training Center, Police Headquarters, Highway and Parks & Facilities Garages, Old Tolland County Jail and Museum, Old Town Hall, and the Crandall Lodge.
In addition to saving money, the facility upgrades are expected to reduce Tolland’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2,585 metric tons. Honeywell expects to complete the improvements by the end of 2014.
For more information, visit https://buildingsolutions.honeywell.com/Cultures/en-US/.
Publication date: 12/23/2013
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