Tolland, Honeywell Announce Project to Improve Facilities, Tap into Geothermal Technology

Honeywell and town officials on Wednesday formally announced what they are calling, "a retrofit and revitalization project" that is expected to save the town nearly $600,000 a year in utility and operating expenses.

The project is geared toward "energy-efficient upgrades across multiple municipal buildings and four public schools," the company and town officials said. 

According to a news release, Tolland will finance a portion of the building improvements with a 20-year, $10-million performance contract with Honeywell. As a result, the town can pay for most of the work with the annual cost savings, guaranteed by Honeywell, rather than drawing from "additional public resources." 

The town also plans to supplement the "investment" with an estimated $350,000 in incentives from Connecticut Light & Power, according to a news release.

The improvements include the installation of geothermal technology at Tolland Middle School and Tolland Intermediate School, according to a news release. Honeywell said the systems will "help enable the schools to manage comfort by tapping into the stable temperatures below the earth’s surface — to provide heat in the winter months and cool the facilities in summer."

Said said Paul Orzeske, president of Honeywell Building Solutions, “Public entities often need support making upgrades or they’ll continue deferring projects year after year, and the backlog and needed capital grow. Energy-saving performance contracts are vital because they allow municipalities like Tolland to improve facilities in a way that benefits the town and its taxpayers.”

Added Town Manager Steven Werbner, “This project helps the community avoid significant up-front costs while guaranteeing long-term savings from the equipment and conservation measures installed. “With Honeywell, the Town Council and Board of Education’s help, we were able to identify upgrades that would have a lasting impact on our buildings and schools. It’s a smart, cost-effective investment in the town’s infrastructure.”

The project includes a variety of enhancements:

• A new building automation system that will help enable facility operators to manage building systems in all four schools, such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning, from a centralized location.

• Updated lighting controls and energy efficient lighting.

• HVAC mechanical upgrades, including new high-efficiency boilers.

• Water conservation measures, including low-flow toilets and faucets.

• Weatherization improvements to minimize the loss of warm and cool.

The work will "impact facilities across Tolland," primarily the town’s school buildings, according to a news release. 

Other buildings involved include the fire stations, the Fire Training Center, police facilities, the Highway Department and Parks and Facilities garages, the Old Tolland County Jail and Museum, the Old Town Hall, and Crandall Lodge.

The facility upgrades are expected to reduce Tolland’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2,585 metric tons — equivalent to removing 570 vehicles from the road, according to a news release. 

Honeywell will start construction this month and plans to complete the improvements by the end of 2014, according to a news release.

Honeywell said it has completed more than 5,000 energy-efficiency projects around the world, work that it says s guarantees more than $5 billion in energy and operational savings to customers. 

For more information, follow @HoneywellBuild on Twitter or visit Honeywell Building Solutions on the Web.