Green Schools | News

New Jersey School District To Save $5 Million Through Infrastucture Upgrades

• By Joshua Bolkan
• 03/01/11

The Somerset Hills School District in New Jersey has kicked off an Energy Saving Improvement Program project that is expected to save more than $5.2 million over fifteen years.

The $3.2 million upgrade is being financed by a third-party lender and will be paid off entirely from the guaranteed cost savings from the program. The district reported it will receive more than $320,000 in rebates and incentives from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Office of Clean Energy.

The energy saving measures will include:

• Lighting improvements;
• An integrated management system for lighting controls;
• A new energy management system;
• PC load management;
• Boiler replacements;
• Kitchen hood controls;
• Window replacements; and
• Energy-efficient transformers.

Amaresco will be installing the upgrades which are expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 10,000 tons over 15 years.

The Energy Savings Improvement Program is a New Jersey law passed in January 2009 that allows public entities to contract with energy services companies to upgrade facilities and pay for those upgrades through the cost savings. The law also requires contracting companies to offer a guarantee on the expected energy savings.