Concord, NH
New Life for an Old School
After the Concord School District closed the Dame School in 2014 as part of a school consolidation, the city of Concord embarked on a project to renovate the building by transforming it into a 45,000-square-foot community center. The center would offer a gymnasium, exercise rooms, a senior lounge, an auditorium, library, summer camps and adult classes in cooking and music, among other services to area residents.
New Services, Greater Energy Efficiency
The city installed energy-efficient condensing boilers, a water heater and energy recovery ventilators, all with assistance from utility partner Liberty Utilities and from Millstone Construction, which provided the plans and the invoices for the equipment. Other changes to make the building more energy efficient included the addition of spray foam insulation in the historic portions of the building to seal cracks and reduce drafts; supplemental roof insulation; energy-efficient windows; low flow plumbing fixtures; LED lighting; and heat-reflective roofing membranes to reduce building temperatures and air conditioning costs in the summer.
“We are helping people through the process so it is easier and less overwhelming,” said Bob Reals, Commercial and Industrial Program Manager for Liberty Utilities. “We really want to make it as simple as possible.”
Project Highlights
| Cost of Projects | NHSaves Rebates | Annual Energy-Efficiency Savings | ROI |
| $54,926 | $36,226 | $8,923 | 2.09 year |
