The City of Portage identifies itself as “a natural place to move.” With building improvements that will reduce energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions, the city is further demonstrating its support of long-term environmental quality and carbon footprint reductions. It has contracted with NORESCO, a national leader in energy efficiency, resiliency, and infrastructure solutions, to implement a $1.1 million energy efficiency project that will improve key city buildings and parks for years to come.
NORESCO analyzed city facilities to determine and design energy and non-personnel operational cost reduction measures. Nearly all interior lighting at city hall will be upgraded to LED technology, as will much of the lighting in the public safety building. In city parks, energy efficiency, lighting quality, and maintenance demands will improve when remaining high-intensity discharge fixtures that light pathways are retrofitted with LED technology. Building systems at city hall will operate more efficiently and with improved air quality and comfort as a result of improvements to the mechanical and energy management control systems. New high-efficiency boiler, chiller, and roof-top units will be installed at the public safety building to boost overall energy efficiency and replace equipment at the end of its useful life. The city will benefit from reduced energy and maintenance costs and will avoid relevant projected future capital expenditures.
“The City of Portage has a responsibility to be good stewards of taxpayer funds,” said Adam Herringa, Acting City Manager. “Our partnership with NORESCO will yield financial savings while protecting the environment in our beautiful city.”
The project also provides decarbonization benefits and is expected to reduce the city’s annual emissions of carbon dioxide equivalents by 418 metric tons. The expected reduction in greenhouse gases equates to carbon sequestered by 495 acres of U.S. forests in one year, providing air quality improvements to the community.
“We commend the City of Portage for commissioning a thorough analysis of operational and budgetary cost opportunities,” said Jim Williams, Vice President, NORESCO. “Even cities like Portage that have a proven history of budgetary acumen and responsible use of city funds − including frequent award recognition by the Government Finance Officers Association − can benefit from a deeper dive into energy budgets and building operations.”
For more information, visit NORESCO's website at www.noresco.com.
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