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Consultants present ventilation, HVAC and solar options; two-phase plan could cost $2M with full lifecycle near $20M
Summary
Energy Management Consultants presented a multi‑phase capital plan for Winthrop Public Schools that prioritizes ventilation and HVAC work; they offered a targeted $2 million option focused on ventilation and middle‑school HVAC and outlined a roughly $20 million long‑term program, plus potential state and federal funding sources.
Energy Management Consultants (EMC) told the Winthrop School Board a second‑phase facilities effort should focus on ventilation, controls and targeted HVAC replacements after a successful phase one of boiler and LED work.
Tom Seekins, EMC president, said the earlier phase produced estimated savings of roughly $148,000 and realized savings of about $229,000. For phase two, he identified older wings with no mechanical ventilation, compressor‑based pneumatic controls nearing end of life, and outdated refrigerants (R22) that will be difficult and costly to replace if systems fail.
EMC described two planning options: a targeted scope that addresses ventilation at the grade school and half of the middle‑school classrooms and replaces a failed unit at the middle school, which EMC estimated as a roughly $2 million budget with an annual payment of about $176,000 starting in 2028; and a full lifecycle program EMC estimated could approach $20 million. Seekins emphasized the firm will pursue grants and revolving funds, cited incentives (for example, an efficiency incentive cited as up to about $18 per square foot for qualifying measures) and said the district’s relatively new roofs make solar arrays viable.
EMC outlined its process: field data collection (CO2 logging, ventilation testing), drawings and bid specifications after board direction, a competitive-bid procurement process, and a financing approach (lease‑purchase or tax‑exempt purchase) used on prior projects. EMC told the board it charges 10% for engineering and development and assumes project delivery risk.
Board members asked how energy savings would be calculated for previously unventilated spaces; EMC said final reports will include adjusted baselines and that adding ventilation can increase measured energy use but still show net lifecycle benefits when heat recovery and incentives are included.
What’s next: EMC requested board direction before engineering work; the firm will produce drawings and bid documents after the board selects project priorities.
