County requests federal funds for energy projects

PARIS — Oxford County commissioners decided Tuesday to submit a formal request for the federal stimulus money the county was granted last year, so it can proceed with several energy-savings projects.

U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins announced in December that the county would receive $234,800 in an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant. The funds are being awarded through the U.S. Department of Energy and are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

"It seems we need to pick up the pace on how we get to the end of the road here," Chairman Steve Merrill said of the county getting the money so it can get the projects done before next winter.

The county will make its request to the Department of Energy, which is expected to deposit the money into the county's bank account, Commissioner Caldwell Jackson said. Once the projects are finished, the county must show how they spent the money, he said.

Already, the county has replaced 30 courthouse windows of 1920s vintage with argon-filled insulated glass ones for about $13,410.

County Administrator Scott Cole said the county needs to hire a consultant and develop specifications to put other projects out to bid.

Jackson suggested the county collect the grant and start using it for an engineer and to reimburse the county for the new windows.

The largest upgrade planned is a wood pellet boiler to replace an oil burner used to heat the courthouse, while leaving a second oil burner as a backup system. Besides increasing efficiency, the goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and use a local  renewable energy source. It is estimated that $152,190 of the grant will be used for the pellet boiler, with a projected $10,110 in annual savings.

Three other upgrades are planned for the courthouse:

• Conversion of the steam distribution heating system to a hot water one, saving an estimated $6,957 per year;

• Installation of separate zone controls designed to prevent overheating; and

• Installation of high-efficiency fluorescent lights to save 16,193 kilowatt hours per year.

The cost of these projects is expected to be $50,000.

Two other county buildings will receive upgrades as part of the grant. The building at 40 Western Ave., which houses the criminal investigation division of the Oxford County Sheriff's Office, will receive a high-efficiency boiler at a cost of $4,000 and annual savings of $837. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system at the Oxford County Regional Communications Center will be improved at a cost of $9,000 and annual savings of $820.

The county also plans to use $10,000 to hire a manager to oversee the construction and make regular reports to the Department of Energy.

mlangeveld@sunjournal.com