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Energy- efficient plan for county
NEW CASTLE — Lawrence County taxpayers are to get a break in utility bills — not in their own, but at least in what they’re shelling out for the county buildings.
Under Act 77, a Pennsylvania law that guarantees energy savings, county commissioners are considering a contract for the company Johnson Controls.
Edward Cvelbar of Johnson Controls’ Youngstown office presented to the commissioners last week his company’s proposal for making county buildings more energy-efficient.
According to the proposal, the total project investment is $2,237,328.
Commission president Steve Craig said the county will issue bonds to pay for the project initially.
But under the law, he said, taxpayers will never be stuck with paying for the energy improvements at six county buildings, including the government center and its old courthouse section; the jail; the Almira House, which houses county children and youth services; the probation and domestic court building; the Krause Shelter, which is a detention center for juveniles; and the Central Court.
The savings generated by the improvements will pay for the project, Craig said. If they don’t, Johnson Controls guarantees the difference.
Over 15 years, the guaranteed savings is $4,461,413, the proposal says.
To achieve the savings, Johnson Controls and its subcontractors will retrofit lighting fixtures; tighten up leaking windows and doors and retrofit and install water fixtures to save water at the buildings.
They’ll install solar panels and high-efficiency heat pumps in the government center.
In the old courthouse section, they’ll retrofit lighting fixtures, tighten leaks and improve control systems.
At the jail, they’ll install two high-efficiency hot water boilers and a high-efficiency chiller.
The Almira House will get two new boilers and a new boiler control system.
The Central Court will get five high-efficiency heat pumps.
Craig said Johnson Controls is a large, stable firm “that will be here in 15 years” to make good on the guaranteed savings.
“We’re trying to make the best use of taxpayer dollars by lowering utility costs,” he said.