FITCHBURG — Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School said it will make more than $10 million in overdue facility upgrades — without the need for additional money from its 18 member communities.
The project will be undertaken in partnership with Trane U.S., a subsidiary of Ingersoll Rand, through an increasingly popular approach in Massachusetts known as performance contracting.
“With it, we’re getting a healthier, more comfortable learning environment, we’re cutting our energy bills, and we’re using those savings to help fund much-needed capital improvements,” Steven C. Sharek, Monty Tech’s superintendent-director, said in a news release.
Trane U.S. was selected by Monty Tech as the firm best able to meet the needs of the district, the news release said. The school selected Trane through a competitive process outlined in state law and signed a contract in late March.
Before executing the contract, Trane spent several months doing a comprehensive energy audit at Monty Tech, identifying ways to save money on utility costs, the school said.
Under state law, performance contracting allows school districts and other governmental agencies to reduce their energy costs and use those savings to enter into long-term leasing agreements for capital improvements.
Over the 20-year term, the value of energy savings guaranteed by Trane exceeds $10.9 million, with additional savings in maintenance and substantial avoided capital expenses realized by tending to facility needs
comprehensively, according to the news release.
In addition to replacing more than 40 rooftop HVAC units, the project includes installing an energy management system with round-the-clock remote monitoring, a more efficient central heating plant, energy efficiency improvements to lighting, better insulation for the building, a new dust collector system in one of the career and technical education programs, more efficient water heating, new controls to improve operations of walk-in food storage, a new condensing style natural gas heater for the greenhouse, kitchen exhaust hood controls, and a new roof.
The project will begin immediately and is scheduled for completion before the end of 2013, with most of the new rooftop units to be installed this summer.