Installation: A 227-kW solar photovoltaic array on the school’s roof, a wood pellet boiler to supply most of the school’s heating needs, and replacement of 42 classroom ventilators and all the windows that are original to the 1961 portion of the building

Completion: Mid-2016

Objective: Otter Valley Union High School in Brandon, Vermont, is the third district in the past three years in the Rutland region to undertake major building improvement projects paid for with energy cost savings through a partnership with Johnson Controls. The two are implementing a $3.6 million energy performance contract that will help the school make much-needed upgrades to the building and dramatically reduce its carbon emissions. The improvements will be fully paid for through cost savings accrued over the next 18 years.

Work Completed: According to Johnson Controls’ Ned Raynolds, who oversees energy performance contracts with local governments and K-12 schools in northern New England, the Otter Valley upgrades are well under way and will be completed by the end of summer or early fall 2016. In addition to the window and unit ventilator replacements and the addition of wood pellet boilers, other major improvements at the 101,000-square-foot high school include unifying the building’s three separate heat circulation loops, which exist as a legacy of the school’s 1983 and 1991 additions; upgrading its HVAC controls system to provide better comfort and efficiency; installing energy recovery ventilation (ERV) systems in the gymnasium and auditorium and demand-controlled ventilation in the cafeteria; improving the interior lighting system, including installing efficient and dimmable LED lamps and controls; and upgrading the parking lot to LED lighting technology.

Publication date: 8/15/2016

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