GREENFIELD — Improved energy performance at the Town Hall, Four Corners Elementary School and Greenfield Middle School is where state Green Communities money will be targeted.
So says Mayor William Martin in talking about Greenfield being picked as one of the 72 communities across the state given $14 million total in grants for the clean energy project. “I am very grateful to DOER and the Baker-Polito administration for this grant, which enables Greenfield to continue to reduce energy that will provide enduring savings,” Martin said in a press release. “These upgrades are expected to save the town over $16,000 in annual energy costs and builds upon a growing list of accomplishments that have resulted in an over 22 percent energy reduction across the municipality since 2008.”
Part of the grant will go toward Town Hall for replacing the inefficient heating system with a highly efficient air source heat pump system. In addition to grant funds and utility incentives, the total project cost is reduced by reusing the air source heat pump equipment from the Davis Street School administration building.
Carole Collins, Greenfield’s Energy and Sustainability director, stated, “When the heating system failed in the Davis Street building a year before it was to be decommissioned, the Energy Department saw an opportunity to install air source heat pump technology since it could be reused once the building was gone. This allowed time for the Energy Department to fully evaluate each municipal building and determined the Town Hall was the most suitable candidate.”
The grant award will also pay for the replacement of a total of five heating and ventilation rooftop units at Four Corners and the Middle School with high-efficiency units. The existing units have reached the end of their useful life and the new rooftop units will reduce energy consumption as well as provide improved air quality for students, faculty and staff.
This project was identified as a priority by the Central Maintenance and School Departments, as the Town of Greenfield is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, a designated Green Community and a recipient of the “Leading by Example” Award, part of the Energy Department’s larger vision to evaluate each municipal building for energy and operational improvements that will increase efficiency and reduce costs for the Town.
“Greenfield has been dedicated to continuous improvements that make our municipality more comfortable, operate better and also bring lasting financial savings,” Martin said. “DOER’s acknowledgement of Greenfield’s commitment to sustainability and these funds are critical to achieving our goals of a clean energy future.”