With over 15,000 students attending annually, Sachem is one of the largest suburban school districts in New York State. In 2007, the district administrators turned to Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) to help accomplish commissioning needs and energy saving upgrades. The result was a project that brought over $16 million worth of energy-related capital improvements to the district with zero taxpayer impact.

Through this project, Sachem was the first district on Long Island to generate wind energy. Other renewables installed include 5 KW arrays on six buildings. In year one, the Phase II EPC with Energia saved 4.5 million in annual KWH, 13,348 annually in MMBTU natural gas, and over 2,600 in MMBTU oil – the equivalent environmental impact of over 1,308 acres of planted trees, 495,268 gallons of gasoline and 10,115 barrels of oil. Emission reductions in one year included 9.6 million pounds of carbon dioxide and 16.0 metric tons of sulfur dioxide.

Significant Cost Avoidance for Needed Retro Commissioning

Since High School East opened a few years earlier, the district had experienced serious issues with its heating system, which was not only competing with air-conditioning, but also operating as if the school was in use 24/7.

Fortunately for the district, the EPC they were considering would include a full retro commissioning of all schools as part of the overall process to eliminate waste and save energy.

Moving forward on the energy performance contract not only brought millions of dollars of needed building improvements to Sachem School District, but it also saved the district approximately $80,000, because it included retro commissioning as part of the process.

Bruce Singer,
Former Associate Superintendent,
(631) 653-5210
(Now at East Quogue School District)