FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018

Media Contact: Jordan Mayblum
Phone: 781-428-3299
E-mail: Jordan@jgpr.net

Littleton Public Schools to Benefit From State Green Communities Grant

LITTLETON — Town Administrator Keith Bergman and Superintendent Dr. Kelly Clenchy are pleased to announce that Littleton has earned a Green Communities Grant that will support the installation of environmentally-friendly technology at multiple school buildings. 

The $250,000 grant from the state Department of Energy Resources will fund the installation of variable frequency drives (VFDs) in multiple areas of the high school and Shaker Lane School, as well as new lights at the middle school. 

The schools’ boilers use motors to circulate hot water throughout the buildings during the heating season. Following the installation of the VFDs, the motors will no longer run at 100 percent power at all times. Instead, the motors’ power will vary depending on outside temperature, making them significantly more energy efficient. 

Littleton Middle School will also benefit from the grant in the form of new exterior and parking lot lighting, while new LED lighting will be installed at the high school’s performing arts center. 

The VFDs and lights are projected to help the town save more than $70,000 in annual energy costs.

“We have been working diligently since 2008 to reduce energy consumption and educate our students and staff about the importance of being committed to energy conservation at the local, state and national levels,” Superintendent Clenchy said. “As a district we continue to be passionate about implementing energy conservation strategies in our schools and are excited about our continued partnership with the Town of Littleton in maximizing energy efficiencies within our community.”

Littleton’s schools were awarded a National Green Ribbon School District Sustainability Award in 2016, making it the only district in Massachusetts to earn the honor that year.

This year marks the third time that Littleton has received a grant through the Green Communities program. In 2016, Littleton received a grant of $140,870 to fund a LED streetlight conversion, installation of VFDs, exterior lighting upgrades, computer load management, improved pipe insulation and enhanced equipment functionality after being certified as a Green Community in December 2015.

In 2017, the DOER awarded Littleton a $250,000 grant that helped cover the costs of an expanded LED streetlight program and improvements at the Spectacle Pond Water Treatment Plant and Littleton High School.

“With the leadership of our Sustainability Committee and Board of Selectmen, and through the efforts of all Town departments, the Town of Littleton has made a lasting commitment to sustainability and pursuing environmentally-conscious projects,” Town Administrator Bergman said. “We’re grateful for the continued support of the Baker-Polito Administration and the Commonwealth’s Department of Energy Resources, and I am proud of the work the schools and town have done to achieve these important energy efficiency goals together.”

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