Upgrades will lower electricity use by over one million kilowatt-hours annually
The City of Cambridge’s commitment to reducing its carbon
footprint is dramatically lowering energy use and is now also benefiting
students at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (CRLS). Several
energy-saving improvements, installed with technical support and
financial incentives from NSTAR, are combining to lower CRLS’s annual
energy use by more than 1.3 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and
nearly 44,000 therms of natural gas. We anticipate the energy savings
will also lower the school’s utility bills by over $335,000 a year.
“We’re proud of our role in helping local cities and towns with their
commitment to reducing energy use through improved efficiency,” said
Penni Conner, NSTAR’s Vice-President of Customer Care. “Along with the
technical assistance we provide, the financial incentives available
through NSTAR’s programs shorten the payback time associated with
installing new, high-efficiency equipment.”
In addition to ongoing energy savings and a significant reduction in
monthly energy bills, the City of Cambridge is receiving a check from
NSTAR for over $226,000 to offset the cost of purchasing the
high-efficiency equipment installed as part of this project.
“The City and NSTAR have partnered successfully in building energy
efficiency projects, with the CRLS project being the largest of those,”
said Cambridge City Manager Robert. W. Healy. “It is my intention to
reinvest the money in even more energy efficient building projects.”
NSTAR’s energy experts worked with the city’s project manager and
CRLS staff to target energy efficiency opportunities including improved
lighting and more effective use of natural daylight; efficient
air-handling systems to improve comfort and eliminate unnecessary energy
use; and efficient boilers, pumps and motors to reduce the amount of
energy needed to heat the school and provide hot water. A new natural
gas powered cogeneration unit is now powering the Media Arts building
and providing heat and hot water to the school in the winter. In the
summer, the cogeneration unit will be used to heat the pools at the
Cambridge War Memorial Recreation Center. The project was designed to
achieve a LEED Silver certification.
The school department also launched the Cambridge Green Schools
Initiative (CGSI) this year, with a major goal of lowering carbon use
through energy tracking, data measurement, and efficiency projects. “The
Cambridge Public Schools look forward to a continued partnership with
NSTAR and the City as we unite in the effort to lower our carbon
footprint,” said Kristen von Hoffmann, CPSD Sustainability Manager.
To learn more, view HMFH Architects' Sustainable Tour of CRLS Brochure.
Pictured in this photo: Holding check are CRLS Interim Principal Damon
Smith, CRLS students, and Penni Conner, NSTAR’s Vice-President of
Customer Care. Photo courtesy of Ini Tomeu.