The Berkeley County (W.Va.) school board has approved a plan to carry out more than $8 million in energy-saving upgrades at Martinsburg High School.
The Hagerstown Herald-Mail reports that the work will begin later this spring when the school year ends, and will be completed over the next two summers.
The projects include iinstalling a geothermal system; replacing mechanical and HVAC systems; and placing 48 rooftop solar panels atop the high school’s field house.
Board President William F. “Bill” Queen says the geothermal system primarily will serve classrooms; some of the school’s larger spaces, such as the auditorium and gymnasium, will need to be served by rooftop units because of the configuration of the building.
The high school building dates to 1928, and additions to the school have been built since, district officials say.
Berkeley County has 13 of the top 14 EnergyStar-rated schools in West Virginia, according to figures provided by Superintendent Manny Arvon.
Nine other schools also have scored favorably in energy efficiency, giving the county a total of 22, or about one-third of the state total, Arvon says.
The energy upgrades are are included in a $28 million energy-management project begun in May 2016 with CMTA Energy Solutions.
The work to date has included the installation of seven geothermal heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems; replacement of boilers and chillers at five other schools; installation of more than 23,000 LED lighting fixtures in more than 30 buildings; thermal “envelope” improvements; computer power management; and districtwide, web-accessible HVAC controls.
