- Crews Installing New Heating-Cooling Units at D.H.S.
$2.1 million worth of energy upgrades to Fremont County facilities are underway this fall. Work began in July under management of the Ennovate Corporation which was awarded a contract by the Fremont County Board of Commissioners to undertake the improvements as part of an energy audit coordinated over the past year through the Governor’s Energy Office.
The biggest pieces in the energy upgrades are new boilers and air conditioning units for the Fremont County Administration Building, new rooftop cooling and heating units at the Social Services Building, automated temperature controls for all buildings, and replacement of lighting fixtures with energy efficient lighting in all building.
Fremont County Manager George Sugars says two new boilers were installed in the Administration Building and were to begin operating this week. Subcontractors were busy installing eleven new rooftop units at the Social Services Building in mid-October.
Fremont County financed the $2,120,000 worth of energy upgrades through issuance of certificates of participation over a 12-year payback period. Under terms of the contract Ennovate guarantees annual energy savings of nearly $128,000. Total cost savings are actually estimated to reach $253,000 for the first year taking into account the capitalization cost if Fremont County were making the improvements on its own without the energy performance contract.
Sugars says that is important because the county has continued to spend more and more money in recent years to maintain the 50 year old boiler and air conditioning units in the Administration Building.
Other key components of the energy efficiency upgrades under the contract with Ennovate Corporation include:
- Judicial Center: Install energy efficient lighting fixtures and remove excessive lighting.
- Sheriff’s Department & Jail: Replace controls on cooling and heating systems, install energy saving lighting fixtures, install an Energy Information Network (EIN) to monitor electricity and natural gas consumption, replace water cooled refrigeration with air cooled condenser for refrigerator and freezer.
- Department of Human Services: Install automated heating and cooling controls, install an EIN for electricity and natural gas consumption, install energy efficient lighting fixtures and room lighting occupancy sensors.
- Department of Transportation: Install programmable thermostats, install overhead door switches to control heating units when doors are open, install insulation, replace inefficient lighting fixtures.
- Airport: Install a new high efficiency furnace and programmable thermostat, install new energy efficient lighting, and install occupancy sensors for lighting.
The upfront cost of the $2.1 million worth of energy upgrades was financed by the Fremont County Commissioners last March by the issuance of certificates of participation through the George K. Baum Company. The annual payments under the 20 year payoff of the certificates will be made with the energy dollars saved each year in the county budget.