Norway to save thousands annually on energy costs

NORWAY — Phase I of making Norway's 25-year-old town office more energy-efficient has been completed, Town Manager David Holt reported Monday.

Holt has been town manager since the building was first constructed. 

The improvements, which include an updated heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, were made by Norway energy management company, TCorp, Inc. and through a retro-commissioning pilot program funding provided by Efficiency Maine. 

Holt said about half of the nearly $30,000 project – including the town's energy audit  – was paid for through the pilot program. The remainder, he said, was paid for with available funds in the town's building account. 

He said the hope is that the improvements will generate about $15,000 in savings over the next two to three years. He said with an upgraded HVAC system the town will use less fuel to heat the building. 

Peter Tousley, TCorp's president, stated in a release that "the cost of this project was a bit unusual because the HVAC system was obsolete and parts [were] not available," requiring a full replacement.

"Our [TCorp's] original estimate of savings provided a simple payback of 4 years," said Tousley in the release. "Unforeseen change orders, necessary to complete the project, bring us up to an estimated simple payback of 5 years with a return on investment of 15% at today’s costs for money, fuel and electricity." 

According to Holt, the improvements have particularly helped the town's old heating system.

Upgrades, he said, include replacing the HVAC system controls, as well as blowers, blower motors and circulators.

"Some of [the old] circulators would stick open and run too much," Holt explained, causing the furnace to engage when it wasn't needed. 

With the new HVAC control system, he said, heat is better regulated. 

"For instance, weekends and nights we can ... keep the heat down," Holt explained.

He said before the new system was installed, town employees were "both roasting and freezing to death." 

According to Holt, a project of this kind has not been completed in the town office since it was constructed in the late 1980s. 

"A lot of that stuff had worn out and wasn't working properly anymore," Holt said, leading to poor air circulation. 

He said by re-commissioning the equipment at the town office, the town is not only saving greatly on energy costs, but is creating a healthier work environment for its employees and visitors. 

"Every workplace should have fresh air," Holt said, "and it's a challenge because you have to insulate [the building] well and not have air [coming in] from outside." 

“This has been a tremendous effort for the town but it will be well worth the time and investment, particularly as we head into the colder part of the year," Holt said. 

Holt said "in the not-too-distant future" the town will discuss installing two new boilers in the town's fire station to replace its 25-year-old boiler. 

"We remain interested in alternate fuels," Holt said. "We try to keep aware of those kinds of developments and when it becomes affordable and wise to do, I think that's something we'd like to do."