The Loomis Chaffee School

EnergizeCT Home Energy Solutions Success Story

In early 2013, Jeff Dyreson, Loomis’s Director of Environmental/Sustainability Initiatives, began thinking about reducing their campus’s carbon footprint and making campus housing more comfortable, while reducing their energy bills. While talking to his brother, a LEED certified architect in Oregon, it was suggested that he look into Connecticut’s Energy Efficiency programs. Dyreson found Energy Efficiencies Solutions (EES), a highly awarded home performance contractor, just down the road in Windsor, CT.

Left to Right: Leticia Colon, Jeff Dyreson, and Alec McCandless in front of Mills House

After an initial consultation, a pilot project was proposed for a single family home. Work began with a BPI Home Energy Solutions (HES) assessment and core service upgrades, which includes retrofit LED lighting, blower door testing, air sealing, duct sealing, insulation and window assessments, HVAC equipment assessments, and water saving measures. This project showed projected annual savings of over $447.

Dyreson then chose to go further and utilize his sabbatical fund, coupled with EnergizeCT rebates and incentives to “go deeper”; this included window and insulation upgrades, as well as fitting the entire home with LED’s. “Seeing the concept and data come to fruition proves that the program works” said Dyreson, which prompted a meeting with his facilities team and EES. The team reviewed the ROI data and the projected costs for additional on-campus housing. In total 17 houses were assessed through EnergizeCT, with 11 receiving window and insulation upgrades.

The Pilot

Prof. Dyreson’s personal residence on campus, called “Mills House” was selected to serve as a pilot for energy efficiency upgrades. The students collected data from past energy use and closely monitored energy use following the phases of work completed.

After evaluating more than four years of heating oil use, before and after upgrades, the data showed that Core Weatherization Services, Insulation, and Window replacements led to a 32% decrease in heating oil use.

Student Engagement Key Contributor

Jeff and his students were an important factor in the success of the work done at Loomis. It was the students who lobbied to use the EE savings to invest in other properties on campus and create a Loomis Green Revolving Fund. To date, 17 properties on the Loomis Chaffee campus received energy assessments and upgrades, with eleven properties receiving window and insulation upgrades, for projected savings of $21,000 annually.

Loomis Chaffee students participate in blower door

For the students, it wasn’t just about saving money. They learned about carbon emissions reductions, and increased home comfort through building science and conservation. The students noted outcomes included a better quality of life through more efficiency and comfortable buildings, and most importantly they noted the real-world EE experience that the project brought. The students are now researching a solar installation, large enough to provide a bulk of their energy needs.

The biggest takeaway of the project? “Get the EE contractor and facilities team involved, to coordinate logistics and review savings projections, costs, and incentives as soon as possible.” The school’s next focus is a large-scale one megawatt solar installation.

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Loomis Success Story