PHOTO/VIDEO: A New, 'Green' Life for the Newton Lower Falls Community Center

Local and state officials celebrated the completion of the "deep energy retrofit project" at the Newton Lower Falls Community Center. The new windows, roof and boilers are expected to reduce energy costs by more than 70 percent.

By Melanie Graham
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January 9, 2013

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Jan. 8, 2012 - Newton Mayor Setti Warren (left), Newton Rep. Kay Khan (center), Mass. Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Richard Sullivan (right) and members of the Newton community cut the ribbon for the newly-renovated Lower Falls Community Center. The energy-efficient renovations, which were completed in August 2012, were funded through a $500,000 capital bond bill requested by Khan, a $179,400 Department of Energy Resources Green Communities Grant and $140,000 accrued in the energy rebate portion of the city's capital stabilization fund. The upgrades -- which include new windows, a new roof, a new boiler and new building insulation -- are expected to reduce energy costs by more than 70 percent.

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Jan. 8, 2012 - Newton Mayor Setti Warren (left), Newton Rep. Kay Khan (center), Mass. Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Richard Sullivan (right) and members of the Newton community cut the ribbon for the newly-renovated Lower Falls Community Center. The energy-efficient renovations, which were completed in August 2012, were funded through a $500,000 capital bond bill requested by Khan, a $179,400 Department of Energy Resources Green Communities Grant and $140,000 accrued in the energy rebate portion of the city's capital stabilization fund. The upgrades -- which include new windows, a new roof, a new boiler and new building insulation -- are expected to reduce energy costs by more than 70 percent.

Credit Melanie Graham

Jan. 8, 2012 - Mayor Setti Warren offers remarks at the Lower Falls Community Center ribbon cutting on Tuesday. Now that the building renovations are complete, the center is expected to reduce energy costs by more than 70 percent, officials say. "Seventy percent reduction in energy costs...that is incredible. It’s amazing," Warren said. "We’re greening our buildings, we’re improving the actual space people use and we’re saving taxpayers money, that’s a model of efficienty and partnership that can be taken all the way across the Commonwealth and all the way across the country."

Credit Melanie Graham

Jan. 8, 2012 - Although the Lower Falls Community Center is roughly 60 years old, it is now one of the most energy-efficient buildings in Newton. With its recent deep-energy retrofit project, the building now has a new "super insulated" roof, sun tunnels for interior day lighting, new 96 percent efficient gas-fired condensing boilers, new triple-pane fiberglass windows and new insulation that reaches down to the building foundation. The changes are expected to reduce the building's energy costs by more than 70 percent.

Credit Melanie Graham

Jan. 8, 2012 - Although the renovations at the Lower Falls Community Center may not be visible from the outside, they will make a big difference when it comes to energy costs, officials say. One of the renovations is the building's new "super-insulated roof."

Credit Melanie Graham

Jan. 8, 2012 - The gym was one of the main areas renovated during the deep energy retrofit of the Lower Falls Community Center. New, triple-pane fiberglass windows have been added to the space along with new insulation and sealing in the building walls. The well-sealed gym is now both warm and quiet.

Credit Melanie Graham

Jan. 8, 2012 - One of the items in the Lower Falls Community Center energy retrofit is new windows. Prior to the project, the building had leaking, single-pane windows. Now, the building has been fitted with triple-pane, fiberglass windows, which will help quiet rooms and save on energy costs.

Credit Melanie Graham

Videos (4)

Videos

Jan. 8, 2012 - Newton Mayor Setti Warren talks about the importance of the renovations to the Lower Falls Community Center and what it means for the city of Newton.

Credit Melanie Graham http://o3.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/273x203/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/75af39a61c0f15fb7dca3f6c187509f6

Jan. 8, 2012 - Mass. Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Richard Sullivan commends Newton for its improvements on the Lower Falls Community Center.

Credit Melanie Graham http://o2.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/273x203/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/9221cce1813f9b5a6c9334c8cffd2b6d

Jan. 8, 2012 - Newton Rep. Kay Khan talks about the history of the Lower Falls Community Center, from its beginnings as an elementary school.

Credit Melanie Graham http://o2.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/273x203/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/f4c0a1c0138639f4ee3e6cf04f35ae4

Jan. 8, 2012 - Newton Mayor Setti Warren (left), Newton Rep. Kay Khan (center, right), Mass. Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Richard Sullivan (right) and members of the Newton community celebrate a ribbon cutting at the newly-renovated Lower Falls Community Center.

Credit Melanie Graham http://o1.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/273x203/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/6a48c2d7fec511b641b3fef0dcb6a575

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