Troy School District was awarded a $50,000 grant from the Department of Natural Resources to connect their pellet boiler heating system to the original high school building, which is currently heated by a diesel boiler.

“Our engineers estimate this will save our district between $18,000 and 25,000 each year,” said superintendent Jacob Francom. “Having the pellet boiler connected renders the diesel boiler in our main basement obsolete.”

Pellets are cheaper than diesel, Francom said, and the pellet boiler has not been heating to its full capacity.

“The plan was always to make the connection and have the pellet boiler as our main source of heat,” Francom said. “We might still use the diesel boiler when it’s really cold out as a heat boost, but we’re hoping the pellet boiler can be our consistent heat source.”

Inconsistent heat has been a problem in past winters at the high school, with most of the complaints being that classrooms are too hot, said Francom.

Work is currently going ahead on the project, and the concrete walkways between the two school buildings have been torn out.

“The concrete needed replacing anyway,” Francom said, “but we will also run the pipe underneath the concrete, at least in parts. We’re still deciding if the pipe will go through the locker rooms or under the path.”