In 2005 the Town of Swampscott Board of Selectmen appointed a Renewable Energy Committee, charged with exploring opportunities for the Town to be more energy efficient, and implementing renewable energy sources. Victoria Masone served as the municipal employee liaison to the Committee, and led a concerted effort in 2010 to complete a detailed energy audit on all of the municipal buildings. After the audit the Town partnered with an Energy Services Company (ESCo) to develop an Energy Performance Contract (EPC), whereby the recommended energy efficiency / renewable energy improvements identified in the audit would be funded by guaranteed future energy savings resulting from the improvements. The project was made possible by M.G.L. c.25A §11I.

Ms. Masone served as the Owner’s Agent throughout the entire EPC, from the Audit phase to the Construction phase and finally to the Measurement & Verification phase. The project included the following Energy Conservation Measures:

Lighting Fixture Retrofit and Fixture Controls                                   Building Envelope Improvements

Steam Distribution System – Steam Trap Replacement                     Water Conservation

Energy Efficient Boiler Replacement                                                    Burner Upgrade / Burner Controls

Vending Machine Controllers                                                                 Cogeneration

VFD on Kitchen Hood Exhaust Fans                                                     Refrigeration Upgrades

The most notable Energy Conservation Measure was installation of a 75 kW Cogenerator at Swampscott High School. The natural gas-fired cogenerator system generated electricity for the school, and captured the waste heat from combustion to supplement the existing heating system, reducing boiler run time. In addition to energy savings, the Swampscott School District continues to receive quarterly payments for Alternative Energy Credits (AECs) generated by the cogenerator.

Construction of the Energy Conservation Measures totaled nearly $1M, and savings resulting from the project total $1.8M over 15 years.