Committee approves HVAC replacement for high school after Rhode Island Energy rebate reduces district cost

The North Providence School Committee voted April 23 to move forward with replacing a failing building management system that controls heating, ventilation and air conditioning at North Providence High School, after staff presented vendor research and an energy-rebate plan intended to reduce the district’s share of the cost.

According to the presentation, the existing system has required extensive maintenance and the replacement is a significant one-time expenditure typically estimated at roughly $150,000. Committee members said staff members Angelo Feroli and Michael Navarone (spelled in the packet) researched local vendors and found a proposal through a Rhode Island Energy commercial/industrial energy-efficiency rebate that would substantially offset the purchase price.

The presenter said the rebate and incentives available through the program amount to $149,312, which would reduce the immediate district cost to $16,528. The district expects to submit that remaining amount to the Rhode Island School Building Authority (RISBA) under health-and-safety reimbursement rules, which staff said are typically reimbursed at about 60 percent. The presenter described additional projected monthly energy savings of $5,515 after the new system is installed.

The presenter summarized staff calculations by saying the district’s out-of-pocket cost after incentives and expected RISBA reimbursement would be “approximately $8,000.” Committee members then approved a motion to proceed; the meeting record shows an unrecorded voice vote of “Aye” and the chair declared the motion carries.

The committee chair asked staff to proceed with procurement steps and to return approved contracts for legal review, consistent with the district’s usual process for capital purchases.