Boardman schools seek OK for program

January 26, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

By ELISE McKEOWN SKOLNICK

BOARDMAN

The school board will ask the Ohio School Facilities Commission for approval to enter into an agreement with Roth Bros. Inc. for the second phase of an energy-conservation program.

The first phase began in June 2008 and was completed in October 2009. The savings from that phase was projected to be $287,000 a year.

According to a third- party analysis, actual savings exceeded that number by about $47,000, said Steve Koneval of Roth Bros.

“We can now utilize those extra dollars to do other items,” Koneval said at the board’s meeting Monday.

The Ohio School Facilities Commission energy-conservation program allows school districts to make energy-efficient improvements to buildings and use the cost of savings to pay for those improvements.

A 2007 review of all district buildings showed a need for $10 million in improvements, Koneval said.

The first phase of the project completed about $4.3 million of the improvements, he said. The second phase should complete an additional $2 million to $3 million.

Improvements in the second phase will include a selection of “drivers” — improvements that will pay for themselves through energy savings. Those savings will enable a few optional upgrades to be completed, as well.

Boardman High School has some high-priority needs, Koneval said.

Sections of the single-pane windows are allowing cold air into the building, the boilers are 45 years old, and the heat ventilators need some work.

The high school is “a great, sound, good building,” Koneval said. “It just needs some TLC.”

The improvements in the second phase are expected to generate an additional energy savings of about $70,000 a year.

Once the application is received by the OSFC, the approval process should take about four to six weeks, Koneval added.