Case Study: County Government Gets a Triple Win with 3 Practical, Actionable Energy Projects

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When a County government with more than half a million residents and 49 geographically diverse municipalities received a $3.7-million federal Energy Efficiency + Conservation Block Grant, they turned to multiple contractors for renewable energy installations, transit programs, and other support.

Master Facilities Plan

Provided a master energy plan for 2 of the county’s 3 primary campus operations. The plan included in-depth demonstration projects that focused on HVAC re-tuning, refining of BAS-controlled lighting schedules, justifying central plant HVAC deferred maintenance projects, maximizing fleet management efficiency, reducing laundry facility energy use, and conducting an employee Energy Conservation + Awareness Program. These projects alone will produce energy savings of up to 20% ($480,000), even though the County recently participated in a large scale capital ESCO project, and sets the County on a cost-effective and energy-efficient trajectory for the years ahead.

Energy Efficiency Grant Program

Created, implemented and managed a $700,000 municipal energy efficiency grant program that produced annual energy savings >$150,000 in 33 small municipalities. Nearly two-thirds of the projects were interior/exterior lighting upgrades with average paybacks of 2 years without grant funds. Annual CO2 savings total over 1.5 million pounds. The program illustrated the multiple benefits of energy efficiency projects for municipalities with budgetary constraints. Services included municipal energy consultations, grant program creation/management, contractor support, and federal Davis-Bacon/Buy American enforcement.

Multiple Energy Management Toolbox

Created a practical, actionable Municipal Energy Management Toolbox containing targeted and proven actions that small local municipal governments can take to reduce energy use and create more sustainable communities. The Toolbox contains a menu of 50 building, transportation, infrastructure, water treatment/processing, and renewable energy initiatives tailored to this County, with clear guidance for implementation — including case studies, sample policies, model programs from other local governments across the country, and code reviews/recommendations.


SERVICES PROVIDED:

  • Master Facilities / Fleet Energy Plan

  • M + V / Energy Tracking

  • HVAC / BAS Re-tuning

  • Municipal Energy Efficiency Grant Program Creation/ Management

  • Municipal Energy Management Toolbox


RESULTS:

This client was provided with a strong foundation of energy efficiency and conservation — a critical, cost-effective, and often overlooked aspect of any smart energy vision.