Johnson Controls pitches $70.6 million energy performance contract to Sachem; board hears details on lights, boilers and an 8.5 MW solar plan

Johnson Controls told the Sachem Central School District Board of Education on Feb. 5 that a comprehensive $70,600,000 energy performance contract could pay for itself from guaranteed energy and operations savings and leave the district with tens of millions in net cash over the contract life.

The project, presented by Danny (Account Executive, Johnson Controls), would combine six major measures — a districtwide LED lighting retrofit (about 24,000 fixtures), boiler plant replacements and conversions, a new open‑protocol energy management system, variable‑frequency drives, site and roof solar (about 8.5 megawatts proposed), and additional efficiency and controls work. Danny said projected first‑year energy savings are about $2,769,000 and additional operations and maintenance savings about $888,000; he presented a projected net cumulative cash flow of roughly $23.6 million over the project life without federal incentives and roughly $37 million if a referenced federal incentive (IRA) is available.

Why it matters: Johnson Controls’ plan would replace aging mechanical systems (many boilers date to the 1996 performance contract) and modernize lighting, which the presenter said would improve classrooms while reducing utility costs. The solar proposal is large enough, the company said, to make Sachem one of the first New York school districts to qualify as net‑zero electric for on‑site loads, which would substantially change operating budgets and energy procurement over time.

What presenters showed and guaranteed

Danny described the lighting measure as the largest single installation of LED flat panels on Long Island, with smart fixtures and controls sized for classrooms, gyms and common areas. He said the lighting measure alone would save about $609,000 per year in energy.

Steve Stewart (Principal Engineer, Johnson Controls) summarized the heating…