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Consultants outline multi-year ventilation, HVAC and solar plan and present a $2 million starter option for Winthrop Public Schools
Summary
Energy Management Consultants presented a facilities assessment identifying aging ventilation and HVAC systems, potential energy incentives and grant sources, and an illustrative $2 million starter project with an estimated annual financing cost of about $176,000 beginning in 2028; the full district program was described as a multi-year effort.
Tom Seekins, president of Energy Management Consultants, reviewed the district’s prior energy-efficiency phase and proposed a phased capital plan to address outdated ventilation, controls and refrigerants across Winthrop Public Schools. He said the district’s first-phase measures delivered realized savings of roughly $229,000 versus earlier estimated savings of $148,000 and outlined additional work on unit ventilators, mechanical ventilation in older wings, controls replacement and consideration of VRF (variable-refrigerant-flow) systems and energy-recovery ventilation units.
Seekins described the challenges of legacy equipment — multiple units from the 1950s and refrigerants (R22) that are obsolete and costly to replace — and emphasized using objective data (CO2 loggers and other sensors) to support funding applications. He enumerated potential funding sources, including Efficiency Maine incentives, revolving innovation grants and federal direct-spending grants, and noted IRA tax incentives as a possible capital contributor.
Using the project cash-flow tool presented to the board, EMC showed an illustrative starter package focused on increased ventilation at the grade school and partial HVAC work at the middle school with a planning-level budget of about $2,000,000 and an estimated annual financing cost of $176,000 starting in 2028. Seekins cautioned that the $2 million figure is a planning estimate, not a competitively bid contract, and described a larger district-wide scope that he characterized as roughly a $20 million multi-year effort. "That's a $20 million project," he said, while urging the board to prioritize and select options before EMC moves forward with engineering work.
Board members asked whether replacing non-existent ventilation would show net energy savings; EMC replied that introducing outside air can raise energy use but that adjusted baseline methods can demonstrate savings for incentive programs. EMC recommended open automation platforms to avoid vendor lock-in and described typical procurement steps (drawings, bid specifications, contractor walkthroughs, competitive bidding) as the next stage if the board selects projects.
Board members requested the slide deck and cash-flow materials; EMC reiterated that no motion was expected tonight and that the presentation was intended to feed a capital plan for next year rather than immediate procurement this fiscal year.
