In the almost two years since the commissioning of the Boardwalk Campus in the Acton-Boxborough Regional School District (ABRSD), the district, its students and local taxpayers are reaping the benefits and savings of this all-electric building's highly efficient design. The school district partnered with Eversource to construct its new elementary school that opened in 2022 and is now operating as designed with an all-electric geothermal system, and no fossil fuel use onsite. After analyzing the data from its first full year serving students, the building is exceeding the established performance targets.
ABRSD embarked on this project through the Mass Save® Path 1: Net Zero and Low EUI Buildings program to relocate two of its elementary schools into a single new energy-efficient building. The goal was to build an all-electric, geothermal school that could achieve net zero status and would set the standard for sustainable new construction. The Eversource and ABRSD teams set an ambitious Energy Use Intensity (EUI) goal of 23.1 - well below the Massachusetts school median score of 65 - and in the two years that the school building has been opened have surpassed that target. Energy Use Intensity normalizes total annual energy consumption by square feet, making it a key indicator of energy performance.
Photo: Eversource recognizes the Boardwalk Campus. L to R: Peter Light, Acton-Boxborough Regional Schools Superintendent; Kate Crosby, Acton-Boxborough Regional School District Energy Manager; Tilak Subrahmanian, Eversource Vice President of Energy Efficiency and Electric Mobility; Kim Cullinane, Eversource Manager, New Construction Energy Efficiency
"The new building at the Boardwalk Campus of the Acton Boxborough Regional School District has been operating for over a year at less than a third of the energy use per square foot of a typical Massachusetts school," said Eversource Vice President of Energy Efficiency and Electric Mobility Tilak Subrahmanian. "Thanks to the leadership from Kate Crosby, Energy Manager and Peter Light, Superintendent of Schools, and with its remarkable energy efficiency and forward-thinking design, this project sets a new standard for sustainable building practices statewide. We are proud to be part of this trailblazing project which, we hope, serves as a model for communities across the Commonwealth and beyond."
"The Boardwalk Campus first and foremost represents a commitment by this community to our children to equip them with the tools necessary for them to step into future challenges," said Peter Light, Superintendent, Acton-Boxborough Regional Schools. "We strive to accomplish this in everything we do, including the buildings themselves where the work and play of education takes place. This school is an important piece of our broader strategy throughout the Acton-Boxborough district to reduce our environmental impact, improve the health and wellness of students and staff, and provide an education in sustainability for future generations."
Through this partnership, ABRSD built a geothermal, all-electric building with a greatly reduced carbon footprint, serving over 1,000 students and faculty across more than 174,800 square feet since opening in 2022. The construction project involved a multitude of innovative energy efficiency strategies and solutions, including an enhanced building envelope, ground source heat pumps, demand-control ventilation, high performance energy recovery, solar panels with battery energy storage to provide resilience and reduce peak demand, electric vehicle charging, and rainwater harvesting and reuse. Because it is fossil fuel-free and highly energy efficient, it saves 328 tons of operational carbon every year - equivalent to avoiding the CO2 emissions from the energy use of over 140 homes for one year.
"Eversource has been a critically important partner for the District in the Boardwalk Campus project," said Kate Crosby, Acton-Boxborough Regional School District Energy Manager. "Their very early support gave credibility to the net zero concept, and the incentive structure provided momentum. Their engagement throughout the process helped educate stakeholders on what can be achieved with an all-electric, geothermal school building. We set a clear EUI target at the very earliest stages of design. Doing so was essential in guiding the team's work and setting the project up for success."
As one of the first all-electric geothermal Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) projects, this partnership will serve as a model for other schools in Massachusetts. It has demonstrated what is possible throughout the entire district, as ABRSD considers 2050 goals for decarbonization.
For more information, please visit the ABRSD website.
About Acton-Boxborough Regional School District
The Acton-Boxborough Regional School District (ABRSD) is a comprehensive PreK-12 public school system serving approximately 5,300 students in the communities of Acton and Boxborough, located about 20 miles northwest of Boston. The district's mission is to develop engaged, well-balanced learners through collaborative caring relationships. We are deeply committed to our values of Wellness, Equity and Engagement. The Acton and Boxborough communities strongly support excellence in public education and instilling a passion for learning in our students. The district prioritizes students' social and emotional well-being while supporting academic achievement. Acton-Boxborough is comprised of nine schools including our early childhood program, six elementary schools, a junior high school, and our high school.
About Eversource
Eversource (NYSE: ES), celebrated as a national leader for its corporate citizenship, is among the top energy companies in Newsweek's list of America's Most Responsible Companies for 2024 and recognized as a Five-Year Champion, appearing in every edition of the list. Eversource transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas and supplies water to 1.8 million customers throughout Massachusetts, including approximately 1.47 million electric customers in 140 communities, 639,000 gas customers in 117 communities, and 11,500 water customers in five communities. Eversource harnesses the commitment of approximately 9,900 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and water with superior customer service. The #1 energy efficiency provider in the nation, the company is empowering a clean energy future in the Northeast, with nationally recognized energy efficiency solutions and successful programs to integrate new clean energy resources like a first-in-the-nation networked geothermal pilot project, solar, offshore wind, electric vehicles and battery storage, into the electric system. For more information, please visit eversource.com, and follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For more information on our water services, visit aquarionwater.com.
CONTACT:
William Hinkle
603-634-2228
william.hinkle@eversource.com
Kyle Costa
781-441-8728
kyle.costa@eversource.com
