A Palmerton Area High School window and exterior door replacement project is set to begin this summer, pending school board approval later this month.

Over 150 windows would be replaced in the guaranteed energy savings project. Penn Builders Inc. was tapped for that job in February.

On Tuesday night, McClure Company account executive Alyssa Wingenfield said the district would see energy savings of around $94,000 over 20 years after work is completed.

“The projected schedule now would have major demolition and asbestos removal starting around June 11,” Wingenfield said. “We’re approaching this in four different areas to make sure everything is done as safely and quickly as possible.”

The project is estimated to cost just shy of $1.7 million, but the district was awarded $250,000 through a Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority COVID-19 Restart Grant because the window replacement was halted by the pandemic.

“We are extremely proud to be one of only two school districts in the entire state to be selected to receive this grant funding,” Dr. Jodi Frankelli, Palmerton superintendent, said following the grant announcement. “As a district, we have worked hard to be fiscally responsible during the current pandemic. Because we needed to allocate funding to ensure that our students and teachers had the technology resources necessary to be successful during hybrid and remote instruction, larger construction projects were put on hold. The Pa. Energy Development Authority’s Restart Grant funding will provide financial assistance to help the district move forward with the completion of one of these projects.”

Taking into the account the grant and energy savings, the financial impact to the district is estimated at $1.35 million.

When completed, the windows and doors at the high school will match those previously replaced at the adjoining junior high school. The project aims to lower the school’s energy use more than 6%, or an estimated 541 MMBtu, annually, for a savings of more than $94,000 over 20 years. The energy conservation aims to achieve a 32-ton reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

Earlier this year, crews located asbestos in the white caulk around the windows and in the cement board for the exterior soffit, where the wall and the roof meet.

“The asbestos will be remediated and new soffit will be added,” Wingenfield said.

HVAC louvers, used to regulate airflow, will also be replaced.

During the planning phase of the project, directors had lengthy debate over whether the windows should be operable or inoperable. Having the windows open, the board learned earlier this year, could potentially violate the energy savings portion of the contract. Inoperable windows also cost around $1,000 less per window, according to earlier estimates.

“The perimeter first-floor windows will have laminate glass for safety reasons,” Wingenfield said Tuesday.

Items not in the contract include final cleaning, reseeding and lawn repair, and the removal of district items from the window/wall system, all of which will be done by the district. Palmerton will have to contract with a third party for air testing.

Project approval will be on the board’s Jan. 19 agenda.