ENERGY STAR Labeled Building Profile

East Rochester School
773 Portland Street
East Rochester, NH 03868
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East Rochester Elementary School is located at 773 Portland Street and is part of the Rochester School District in Rochester, New Hampshire. We are an elementary school serving preschool through fifth grade with a student population of about 375.

The Rochester School Department is the third largest school district in the state of New Hampshire and is located in southeastern New Hampshire. The district consists of 11 schools totaling 850,504 square feet and has 4,700 students.  

Rochester School Department set out to manage its energy use in the early 1990's in order to decrease operating budgets and its impact on the environment. School administrators selected Honeywell to help advance their efforts and entered into a 10-year, $1.5-million energy savings performance contract that aimed to increase energy efficiency by focusing on updating aged building systems. The energy savings from the improvements enabled the district to fund the program and the savings were guaranteed through the performance contract so the work would not impact operating budgets.

By 1995, the energy management project was complete and the Rochester School Department was benefiting from the improvements, financially and operationally. Within a year of project completion, the district saved more than $200,000 in energy costs compared to the previous year. Overall, the district saved nearly $600,000 more than the project's guaranteed savings of $2.1 million.

In 2005, the Rochester School Department decided to embark upon a second phase of the program. The district continued working with Honeywell and signed a 10-year, $11.5-million contract that focused on technology improvements. Because a majority of the buildings were constructed prior to 1968, the upgrades were instrumental in keeping the schools modern, comfortable, and energy efficient.

Phase two included the installation of new ventilation equipment in nine schools, new boilers, access control and digital video security system at Spalding High School, water conservation upgrades, and new windows in five schools. This work included additional energy conservation measures that were not implemented in phase one, such as insulating, sealing, and weather-stripping to prevent air leakage around windows, doors, and other gaps in the outer layers of the buildings. Other upgrades included additional lighting improvements. Phase two was completed in 2006, and by 2008, the Rochester School Department has saved more than $480,000 in energy cost savings.

In August 2009, the Rochester School Department joined ENERGY STAR as a partner. The district agreed to make a commitment to protect the environment and to continuously improve its energy performance. By early 2010, all 11 schools had earned the ENERGY STAR for superior energy performance. Rochester School Department's average energy performance rating is 87.

The Rochester School Department is not stopping there, according to Director of Maintenance, Richard Kalisz, who notes that the district is currently implementing a third phase of improvements, which include converting the existing oil-fired burners at two of the schools into dual-fuel burners, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  

Communications:

Unavailable

Testimonial:

"Being the third largest department in the state, it's important to set an example that no matter what the challenges, energy efficiency can be achieved. Earning the ENERGY STAR speaks volumes for what the program has accomplished."

Please note: Narrative information in this profile has been provided by Rochester School Department or a representative of this facility. Other building information was verified and submitted to EPA at the time of application. Building energy performance, operating characteristics, and ownership/management may be subject to change over time.

Service Provider:
Honeywell

Building Owner:*
Rochester School Department

Property Manager:*
N/A

Year(s) Labeled (Rating):
2009 (91)

Facility Type: K-12 School

Total Floorspace: 51400 sf

Year Constructed: 1968

Contract Type: Performance Contract
Financing Type: Guaranteed Savings

Technologies Used:

Stage 2-Lighting

    + Compact Fluorescents
    + LED Exit Signs
    + T8 or T5 Lamps

Stage 3-Load Reductions

    + Control Ventilation Rates
    + ENERGY STAR Procurement Policies
    + New EMS
    + Vending Machine Controllers

Stage 4-Fan Systems

    + Energy Efficient Belt Drivers
    + Premium Efficiency Motors

Stage 5-Heating and Cooling Plant

    + Economizer Cooling
    + Hot Water Loop Temperature Control
    + Variable Frequency Drives for Fans, Pumps, and/or Cooling Towers

Other Technologies/Strategies

    + Water Saving Toilets

For More Info:
Richard Kalisz
Buildings and Grounds
Rochester, NH 03867
603-332-3678
Kalisz.d@rochesterschools.com