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PROVO -- Energy-saving improvements are coming to several government-owned buildings in Utah County. County leaders believe they will save $5 million in energy costs over the next 17 years.
The $7 million project involves retrofitting and weatherizing several county-owned buildings. County commissioners say the project will be paid for through grants, energy bonds and the savings the improvements will give the county's energy bill.
- Save more than $5 million in energy costs over 17 years
- Create approximately 130 local jobs
- Remove nearly five million pounds of carbon dioxide from the environment
- Installation of a new central heating and cooling plant to serve the administrative building and historic courthouse
- A chiller tower replacement at the county security center
- Lighting system upgrades across all 18 buildings
- Water conservation measures
- More efficient heating ventilating and air conditioning systems
- Building controls optimization to reduce operational costs and energy usage
The historic Utah County Courthouse, which now houses several county government agencies, will benefit the most from the project and will get a much needed and energy-efficient air conditioning system.
The project will also extend to the county administration building, the new health building, the public works facility and the county jail.
In addition to heating, ventilation and air conditioning improvements, work will happen on green lighting, weatherization, and even ways of using less water.
The company contracting with the county is Johnson Controls. It is guaranteeing $5 million in savings to the taxpayers on energy costs over the next 17 years.
"In terms of the benefit it will provide in lowering the cost of operating our buildings and making them more efficient, that's to the tune of $7 million in projects; which, through a grant and energy savings, will pay for that over the next 17 years and continue beyond that," says Utah County Commissioner Larry Ellertson.
The county is getting $2.1 million from a block grant and another $4.2 million from federal energy bonds. Commissioners say the rest of the cost of the project will come from energy savings.
Work will get underway right away, and the entire project should be finished sometime next summer.
E-mail: spenrod@ksl.com
