Energy savings projects for 2009

Cost Annual Savings Years to break even

Multipurpose Center Switch to on-demand

hot water system $10,000 $8,000-$15,000 1.3

Library Duct insulation in attic $2,000 $2,000 1.0

Armory Switch to on-demand hot water system $3,000 $2,000 1.5

Armory Add ceiling turbines $4,000 $2,000 2.0

Solid Waste Consolidate operation,

replace electrical heat with natural gas $10,000 $4,000 2.5

Public Works Ops. Switch to high pressure

sodium lights from fluorescent in

salt and sand sheds $2,000 $1,000 2.0

City Hall Seal air leaks in walls

and ceilings, add ceiling turbines

and efficient light controls $10,000 $5,000 2.0

Public Works Insulate steam heating pipes $1,000 $1,000 1.0

Central Fire Station Insulate steam heating pipes $1,000 $1,000 1.0

Central Fire Station Ceiling turbines $2,000 $800 2.5

Totals $45,000.00 $26,800 1.7

Source: City of Lewiston

City looks for energy savings

LEWISTON – A series of tweaks to the city’s operations should save $26,800 per year, according to Ian Houseal, the city’s new energy savings czar.

Councilors last week approved a list of changes to eight buildings designed to make them more efficient and cheaper to operate. Changes range from swapping out old ceiling fans with more efficient turbine systems, better insulation and more efficient lighting.

“We’re looking for projects that are going to have high return on investments, that could really create a sizable dent in the budget,” he said. “I know that $26,000 is not a big part of the overall budget, but it does help.”

In some instances, the projects just involve better insulation. City workers will be insulating heating pipes in City Hall and the Central Fire Station as well as insulating City Hall’s ceiling better and sealing air leaks there.

Other projects, including replacing the hot water supply in the Multipurpose Center, which is always on, with one that only heats water when it’s needed, will be more involved. That project should cost $10,000, but has the potential to save the city $8,000 to $15,000.

Another project calls for consolidating operations at the city’s landfill into few rooms, and removing heaters from rooms that won’t be used any longer.

Houseal also recommends replacing ceiling fans in the Lewiston Memorial Armory with high-efficiency turbines.

“The fans there now are old and they’re 40 feet in the air and they don’t really do the job we need, of getting the hot air at the ceiling down where the people are,” he said. The new turbines are more efficient and more powerful and can be aimed where people are.

All told, the projects will cost the city $46,000 out of the budget but should pay for themselves in less than two years.

“In general, I think people look for magic bullets when it comes to efficiency, but I don’t think there are any,” Houseal said. “What we’ve done is identify some large projects that will have an impact, but there isn’t one thing that’s going to do it all. It’s going to involve a lot of smaller projects, city staff and buy-in from the public to really make things better.”

Houseal joined the city in December as a special assistant to city Administrator Jim Bennett. His goal is to find ways to save the city enough money to pay for his salary.

Houseal’s next project is creating an inventory of the city’s street lights, hoping to reduce redundant lights. He predicts the city can save up to $31,000 per year by reducing the city’s street lights by 10 percent.

“We’re not trying to put people in the dark and take away their lights, but we want to find the level of service that’s really appropriate,” he said.