ESVT recently provided engineering services to renovate the mechanical systems at Lothrop Elementary School in Pittsford, Vermont. This school was heated by oil-fired boilers which supplied a combination steam and hot water heating distribution to both the school building and adjacent Town Hall building. Classrooms were ventilated by poorly functioning unit ventilators and a pneumatic control system oversaw operation of equipment. Total square footage of both buildings is 40,000 square feet. Annual fuel oil consumption was around 19,300 gallons of No. 2 fuel oil.
The scope of work included replacing one oil fired boiler with two 500 mbh Froling wood pellet boilers and a 36 ton exterior pellet storage silo. Two 400 gallon thermal storage tanks were included to improve pellet boiler system efficiency. One oil fired boiler remains as a back-up heat source. The heating distribution system was converted to hot water heat. Unit ventilators were converted to space heaters and ventilation was accomplished with two new central air-to-air heat recovery units and new ductwork distribution system. The pneumatic control system was replaced with a modern direct digital control system which is accessible from the internet.
The school now complies with current indoor air quality standards. Renovations are anticipated to save about 18,400 gallons per year in fuel oil consumption.
