OXFORD — Energy retrofit projects in the Oxford Hills School District have generated enough savings to prompt officials to looks at constructing more biomass projects within the district.

“It’s all good news,” said Superintendent Rick Colpitts of the energy savings measures taken at eight of the district’s school buildings since fiscal year 2007. That includes the recent massive biomass boiler project at the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School.

Colpitts told the Board of Directors at its Monday night meeting that 10 engineering firms submitted qualifications for new biomass projects at five schools. Officials say those schools could achieve “substantial” savings by conversion to biomass.

The schools are the Oxford Hills Middle School, and Rowe, Harrison, Oxford and Paris elementary schools. The five schools were determined to be candidates for using biomass (wood pellets) to heat their buildings.

Of the 10 engineering firms that submitted qualifications for the proposed projects, four were interviewed by members of the Operations Committee. Siemens Industry of Scarborough was selected to do the engineering study and performance contracting for the construction that could begin as early as next summer.

The Oxford Hills School District has a history with Siemens with its other biomass projects.

Colpitts said the next step in the process is for a contract to be signed to do a study. The projects will continue only if that study determines there will be sufficient savings to cover the cost of project engineering and construction, he said.

If the projects move ahead there would be no referendum necessary unless it required additional building, and the district would pay back the bond within 12 years.

The move to continue expanding the biomass projects throughout the district is based on positive cash flows found in previous projects, he said.

Business Manager Cathy Fanjoy Coffey told the Board of Directors that Phase 1 of the $1.6 million project which began in fiscal 2007 and included lighting retrofits in all eight schools, demand control ventilation, prevention of heat loss and placing variable speed pumps at the high school guaranteed a savings of $1,571,663 over the last five years.

Under the terms of the performance contract with Siemens, the company must guarantee savings each year. If the guarantee is not met, Siemens must reimburse the difference between the guaranteed amount and the actual savings, she said.

The savings exceeded the guarantee by $415,885, said Coffey. The excess savings that was put into the operating budget over that time was about $84,000, she said.

Facilities Director David Marshall told the board that the first year of the biomass boiler in the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School had a 75,000 gallon target reduction in oil used. The actual savings was 72,023 gallons. A total of 17,975 gallons of No. 2 oil was used last year when the biomass boiler was down compared to previous years of 90,000 gallons of oil used for the season. The oil burner is now used for shoulder seasons, he said.

The projected savings this year is $78,846 from using the biomass boiler, said Marshall.

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