Salem, NH
Salem High School recently completed the third phase of their $75 million renovation to turn the school into a modern and functional learning establishment for the 1,200 students currently enrolled. The project started in spring of 2015 and is scheduled to be completed before the 2018 school year begins. It is the first major renovation of its kind since the school opened about 50 years ago.
Before the renovations, the facility suffered from poor ventilation, inadequate heating, and expensive lighting. The first three phases of the project included interior and exterior energy efficient LED lighting and a new 36 ton HVAC rooftop unit. All of these measures have allowed the high school to be much more energy-efficient and qualify for approximately $38,000 in incentives.
Liberty Utilities has been involved throughout the renovation process to help the school select the best equipment for efficiency, decrease operating costs, and maximize the amount of incentive money. According to Jack Messenheimer, Director of Maintenance for Salem High School, “The new technology in this building is absolutely phenomenal. The LED light bulbs we installed don’t generate heat and my crews will spend a lot less time replacing them.”
Messenheimer explained that “Liberty Utilities’ rebate programs have made a huge difference with what we have been able accomplish. We use the incentive money to get better quality lighting fixtures, which qualifies us for additional incentives. By putting the money we receive back into the renovation, we are able to stay on budget and get high quality lights.”
Salem High School expects to break even for the incremental cost of high efficient lighting systems after just one year. Also, the long life expectancy of LED bulbs means the school can expect to save approximately $19,000 annually for the next 15 years.
