Metro Energy Solutions was hired by the Summit Board of Education to design and project manage the installation of a new lighting system throughout the entire school district, after the District tried to implement the project on its own and received two bids with completely different strategies and prices.

After an initial consultation with Metro Energy Solutions, the Summit BOE decided to solicit competitive proposals to have a new lighting system installed throughout the school district.  Against the advice of Metro Energy Solutions, they did not use Metro’s consulting services, choosing to try to do the project in-house instead.  Summit received two responses; one for a lighting retrofit costing just under $300,000 and one for all new fixtures costing approximately $900,000.  Unable to figure out what to do, Summit BOE called Metro back in for a meeting and hired Metro to consult on the project. 

“After reviewing the two proposals, I told the Board that we could design a project using all new fixtures that would improve the lighting to meet or exceed New Jersey State Code, and even after paying our engineering and consulting fee, would still save the District approximately $250,000,” stated Robert Ragozine, Chief Operating Officer of Metro Energy Solutions.  “They hired us, and we gave them exactly what we said we would.” 

Metro Energy Solutions’ scope of work included re-auditing each school to create an accurate inventory of every fixture in the school district; designing a new lighting system and design using new fixtures that ensured the New Jersey State Code for light levels in schools was met or exceeded; preparing bid specifications to allow the Board of Education to receive competitive proposals; providing project management and oversight throughout the course of the project; and oversight of the rebate program that allowed the Board of Education to lower the net cost of the installation even further. 

Since the lighting project was completed, Metro Energy Solutions has performed other services for the Summit Board of Education, including the preliminary design and analysis of a photovoltaic solar system for the High School and one of the elementary schools, and the re-engineering and design of new HVAC ductwork at the High School to replace the ductwork that had been improperly designed and installed by another contractor several years ago.