A completed feasibility study indicates Englewood could save
about $300,000 a year by enacting an energy efficiency program.
The study is a result of the city taking advantage of a program
through the Governor’s Energy Office that provided a free
energy-efficiency study.
“We worked with the Governor’s Energy Office and their
contractor, Trident Energy Service, on the feasibility study,”
deputy city manager Mike Flaherty told the city council at the Oct.
13 study session. “The study looked at energy used by all city
facilities and the findings are the city can be more energy
efficient, particularly in the area of electricity.”
The next step will be to select a company from about a dozen
recommended by the state and contract with it to provide the
energy-saving improvements. The expectation is savings in future
energy and maintenance costs will pay for the contractor’s
services.
“We contract with an energy service company to conduct a full,
in-depth energy audit,” Flaherty said. “The audit will establish
the energy-saving measures needed and the plan is to pay for the
improvements over time from the energy-cost savings the
improvements produce … over the next 10-15 years.”
Councilwoman Jill Wilson is a proponent of “going green” and has
been urging the city to move in that direction since she joined the
council last year.
She said she is glad to see the city moving toward greater
energy efficiency.
“I am pleased we have gotten this far and I hope we can continue
to work on this project,” she said after the Oct. 13 meeting. “I
believe it is good for the city to set the example in taking steps
to be more energy efficient. I feel it is the right thing to
do.”
The announcement of the free audit services offered through the
state got the ball rolling and Flaherty has been working on the
project since June.
The feasibility study produced a lengthy report that included
evaluation of last year’s energy costs and possible actions to
reduce those costs.
According to the report, the city spent more than $500,000 to
illuminate, heat and cool its buildings last year. The Englewood
Civic Center is a recently renovated building and the energy cost
of $1.21 per square foot was the most energy efficient of the city
buildings. The ServiCenter had the highest energy bills at $2.37
per square foot with the recreation center at $2.36 per square foot
and the safety services building at $2.27.
Some of the preliminary suggestions to reduce energy costs
include switching to more energy-efficient lighting, upgrade
heating controls and systems.
“The report pointed to the biggest potential savings at the
Englewood-Littleton Wastewater Treatment Plant and at our water
treatment plant,” Flaherty told the council. “Both are
enterprise-fund facilities, meaning they are independently funded
and not funded through the city’s general fund. In both cases, the
enterprise fund will cover any energy efficiency improvement costs.
Also, since the wastewater treatment plant is jointly owned by
Englewood and Littleton, moving forward with an energy efficiency
project, there would require the approval of both city
councils.”
He noted that the city will take the next step by establishing
the necessary contracts but noted it will be about two years before
work begins.
Flaherty said a number of area government agencies have launched
similar energy efficiency programs such as Arvada, Westminster and
Arapahoe County. All reported reduced energy bills with the largest
savings coming from more efficient systems for swimming pools at
the recreation center and increased energy efficiency at wastewater
treatment plants.
— City works with state to use less energy
— Preliminary audit says changes could save city money
— Savings in energy costs expected to cover cost of
improvements
