St. Bernard's Energy Efficiency Makes the Grade

St. Bernard's High School recently completed a major energy efficiency project to improve the quality of lighting and its energy efficiency.

New high efficiency interior and exterior LED lighting was installed in the co-ed, independent Catholic high school located on Harvard Street and their Activity Center on Summer Street. It included a mix of adding new fixtures and a retrofitting of existing ones to maintain the historic aesthetics. It is anticipated the upgrades will save over 86,000 kWh of electricity annually. The new upgrades qualified for a $128,632 energy efficiency rebate.

"It's these types of projects that are making a difference-not only in using energy more efficiently but also in helping to make homes and business more comfortable. It's a significant savings in energy, equivalent to what 11 homes would use annually," said Unitil External Affairs Director Alec O'Meara.

In addition to interior upgrades, exterior pole lights were replaced with LEDs too. "The positive feedback from our faculty and students has been astounding on campus and the lighting at the Activity Center is unbelievable," Nicholas L. Pelletier, a trustee for the school, said. "We couldn't have done it without Unitil's help."

"Visiting teams used to comment on how dark the activity center was as soon as they got in the gym. Now it is such a difference-night and day," said Ray Cosenza, the school's athletic director said.