The Energy Management Committee along with Town Administrator James McGrail and Town Planner Gil Hilario are pleased to announce that the Town of Marion was awarded a grant totaling $120,238 that will support energy efficient projects throughout town.
The grant was awarded to the Town of Marion by the Green Communities Program through the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources. The Town must be a Green Community in order to be eligible for the grant and meet five criteria that further energy savings goals.
“We, the Energy Management Committee, are thankful to the Baker-Polito Administration for awarding us this grant through the Green Communities program to provide fiscal support to meet the goals in our Energy Reduction Plan,” Chairman Christian Ingerslev said. The Energy Management Committee, Facilities Manager Shaun Cormier, and Town Planner Gil Hilario have worked hard over the last year to identify energy efficient building projects in Town that will save taxpayers money and reduce fossil fuel use.
The Town of Marion completed several more projects that will help the Town achieve its goal of reducing energy use by 20 percent over five years. The Community Center replaced a 30-year-old gas-fired furnace that operated at 70-80 percent efficiency with an all-electric heat pump system. The new heat pump system is much more efficient with a 17.8 SEER rating and is used to heat the activities room, the kitchen, and bathrooms. Also, attic insulation was installed covering 4,420 square feet with 10-inch and 8-inch cellulose.
The Music Hall added 750 square feet of insulation in the attic and basement. New storm window inserts were also added to the Elizabeth Taber Library (23 total). The storm window inserts will improve the efficiency of the single pane windows there.
Two oil conversion projects were completed. A new natural gas furnace and a new propane furnace replaced 30+ years-old oil furnaces that are only 70-80 percent efficient at Silvershell and Main Water Pumping Station.
Approximately $3,399 in utility rebates has been used towards funding.
These projects are expected to save approximately $8,000 dollars a year and 18,497 kwh, 2,072 therms, and 1,385 gallons of oil annually. The payback time for all the projects combined is 15 years.