Shirley energy committee gets approval for audit

SHIRLEY -- Energy Advisory Committee Chairman Bryan Dumont left from Monday night's selectmen's meeting with several projects in progress and a signed OK from the board to proceed to the next phase on one of them.

The board endorsed an "investment grade" audit agreement with ABM, a Woburn-based company now conducting preliminary energy audit reviews of all municipal buildings on its list, plus the two school buildings in town.

Dumont said the committee selected ABM from a field of 11 companies responding to the committee's request for proposals. Four finalists were interviewed, he said.

The process is at the "30-thousand-square-foot overview" stage, in which the contractor does the initial energy audits with an eye to making energy-saving changes, he said.

In the first phase, the work is minor and relatively inexpensive, such as switching out old-fashioned light bulbs for lighting that lasts longer and costs less, such as LED. Costlier items on the to-do list would come later and might include large-scale insulation and repairing or replacing major building components, such as HVAC systems.

Much of the initial work will be paid for from the remainder of a $153,000 state grant, Dumont told the board. There's plenty left for the purpose, he said. The grant came about as a result of the Green Community designation the committee landed last year, with the blessing of selectmen and Town Meeting.

In addition to the ongoing energy audits, Dumont

One more component is on order and expected soon, with work to commence as soon as the weather allows.

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Shirley energy committee gets approval for audit