Gould Academy - Alodyne

Background

In Maine, winters tend to be long and bitter. For institutions with large facilities to heat, such as hotels, hospitals, and schools, an innovative company, Alodyne, LLC, offers a sweet deal: Alodyne will assess their heating needs, design a more efficient system, purchase and install the new equipment, and guarantee the performance over the term of their contract. Alodyne becomes the institution’s primary heat provider, paid for supplied heat over the term of the contract, while the client enjoys the benefit of risk-free savings.

After successful projects in the Sunday River area, including the Jordan Hotel and the Grand Summit Hotel, Alodyne’s CEO Jeffrey Packard talked to Gould Academy, a local college preparatory institution that has been educating students since 1836. For several years, Gould Academy had been considering use of an Energy Services Agreement (ESA) as a pay-for-performance model for renovating its heating system. To evaluate the model’s fit with Gould, the school decided in 2013 to work with Alodyne on an ESA for a smaller, single-building heating project.

One of the campus’ buildings, Ordway, had been built off the central heating grid. With two floors and 27,000 square feet, it housed the cafeteria and, because it was a stand-alone unit, served as the school’s emergency evacuation area. “It was the perfect place for demonstrating proof of concept,” Packard notes.

The Big Story

As with all of our customers, the operation, maintenance, service, engineering, and financial costs of this installation were all internalized by Alodyne. We in turn generate heat at a reliable price during the term of heat generation contract. Gould Academy bears no maintenance costs throughout the term of the contract, simply paying for the fuel that they use, plus a negotiated price per unit of heat. Alodyne owns, operates and maintains the equipment.

When Alodyne took on the project, Ordway was heated by two Smith oil burners, installed in 1997, with a gross output of 2,300 MBH each. “These were high-low boilers that weren’t modulated,” Packard says. “There were cycling issues that created inefficiency, and the boiler room was always hot. The temperature in the boiler room is now comfortable throughout the year.”

Viessman

Alodyne chose to work with Viessmann on the project as they have a strong reputation internationally, and have a widely available selection of equipment. As efficiency, reliability, and strong customer service are mandatory in our business, we felt that Viessmann was up to the task of delivering on these three key components.

After an ASHRAE Level One audit and a site inspection, Alodyne selected the Viessmann CM2 663 MBH condensing boiler fueled by propane. “When you want the best performance, you get a Viessmann,” Packard explains. “We looked at a lot of options—everything else looked pale in comparison.”

Key benefits of the installation included

Energy efficiency, dependability and longevity. Ultimately, Gould Academy has the peace of mind of knowing that Alodyne is always monitoring Ordway’s energy plant.

Installation Details

Under the Alodyne plan, the new Viessmann unit sits next to the existing Smith boilers, which remain as backups. The CM2 was small enough to fit in the boiler room without dismantling either Smith. The installation was completely straightforward. We were able to cut into the existing supply and return lines.

The installation began in August, with an official ribbon-cutting and operations starting on October 6. Today, the Viessmann CM2 not only provides heat for the entire building, it serves its domestic hot water as well. Overall, the new boiler is expected to save Gould Academy $11,400 each year.

Lower bills, zero headache. That's Alodyne.