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Windo-Therm/NSTAR Joint Venture Reduces Heating Costs

Press Release: December, 2004

Pittstown, NY - A joint venture between window insulating panel manufacturer Windo-Therm of Pittstown, N.Y. and NSTAR Gas of Boston, MA is warming residents of a New Bedford, MA apartment building and saving their landlord money.

Owners of the Dawson Building were having a difficult time maintaining a comfortable temperature in the 32 unit converted industrial building on Purchase S1. in New Bedford. They were unable to raise the internal temperature of some of the apartments above 65 degrees due to the existing drafty twenty-year-old windows. While searching the Internet, owners Linden Associates discovered Windo-Therm , a manufacturer of removable aluminum/polyolefin window insulating panels that are
installed on the interior of existing windows.

While discussing their heating problems with NSTAR, Linden Associates became aware of the gas company's Commercial and Industrial Energy Efficiency Custom Program. The program offers financial incentives to commercial and industrial customers who employ pre-qualified high efficiency and new technology gas equipment, energy saving controls and weatherization materials at their facilities. NSTAR pays a percentage of the incremental cost or the first year of energy savings when businesses use these methods. Linden's plan to use the Windo-Therm window insulating panels to save energy qualified them for the program.

NSTAR contracted with Demand Management Institute (DMI), an engineering firm that provides energy saving strategies for commercial buildings. DMI recommended the Windo-Therm window insulating panels to reduce drafts and save energy costs at the 142 window Dawson Building.

The total cost of the project is $25,479 with Linden Associates qualifying for $12,740 in incentives from NSTAR. NSTAR estimates a first year energy savings of $5,368. DMI calculated that Dawson would realize a payback of 4.7 years. According to Windo-Therm@President Jim Devine, the payback figure for replacement windows is normally 25 plus years. "Our system is more thermally efficient than traditional replacement windows. It triples the insulation value and in certain residential settings can realize energy savings of as much as 55%," said Devine.

The Windo-Therm system was invented in 1996 by one of the company's founders. The company has patents in four countries and customers from Newfoundland to New Mexico. NSTAR is Massachusetts' largest investor-owned electric and gas utility company serving 1.4 million customers throughout eastern and central Massachusetts. For more information about NSTAR's Energy Efficiency programs visit NSTAR' s website at www.nstaronline.com.

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