The Norwood Middle School Building Committee voted April 14 to authorize additional services from Interval Data Systems (IDS) for continued monitoring and warranty-phase support of the new school's building automation and energy-management systems. The approved extension covers monitoring through the end of 2027 at a total cost of $82,500.

Why it matters: IDS provides software-based trend monitoring, diagnostics and recommended control adjustments to improve energy performance and resolve operational issues during the crucial first year(s) of occupancy while subcontractor warranties remain in effect. Committee members and staff said the service can help identify issues early and recommend corrective adjustments to contractors while they remain under warranty.

Committee discussion: project staff described IDS's role as tracking system trends, diagnosing early issues (for example, lights or heating starting too early) and recommending adjustments to fine-tune building performance. A committee member said: "the shaking out of this building is gonna be huge during the first year of operation," arguing that independent monitoring is valuable. Staff confirmed IDS already participates in commissioning and that extending monitoring through the warranty window is common practice on recent projects.

Vote and next steps: the committee approved the $82,500 supplemental services by roll call. Staff will execute the agreement and incorporate IDS monitoring activities into post‑occupancy commissioning and facilities handover tasks.

Direct quote: a presenter summarized IDS's value by saying the firm "not only point out the problems, but they also point out a solution. And we're big, big help to the facilities team."