Work on a major energy-efficiency overhaul at the sprawling, state-owned Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown is about to begin, officials announced Thursday.
A groundbreaking ceremony will be held Friday for the project with officials from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
CVH provides psychiatric, addiction and other services.
The $32 million project will pay for itself over time through a 15-year performance contract with Noresco, DEEP said, with annual savings continuing beyond the contract term. If the results aren’t achieved, Noresco would be required to pay the state.
“This financing mechanism of an energy savings performance contract enables state agencies to invest in energy savings and realize a guaranteed return on that investment,” DEEP Commissioner Rob Klee said in a statement.
The project, expected to take 30 months to complete, will include two new miles of steam pipe, a 1.5 megawatt co-generation system for the property’s power plant, new boilers, LED lighting and other upgrades.
It is expected to help DEEP put a dent in its energy-reduction goals for state facilities under a program known as Lead By Example.
