County considers energy audit

By Karla Pomeroy
The Big Horn County Commissionerslistened to a proposal to conduct an energy audit of the county’s facilities at their regular meeting last week.
The Wyoming State Energy Office under the Wyoming Business Council offers the Wyoming Energy Conservation Improvement Program (WYECIP). Tom Fuller, Wyoming State Energy Office manager, presented the program to the Big Horn County Commissioners last Tuesday. He said the State Energy Office’s mission is simple — to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy and the WYECIP helps accomplish the mission.
WYECIP is a simple, quick way for facility owners, such as county and municipal governments, to implement and finance energy conservation measures. WYECIP facilitates performance contracting, which is a method of funding energy conservation measures through guaranteed energy savings.
Fuller said energy service companies involved in the WYECIP will guarantee energy savings. He said the company cannot guarantee that utility rates will not increase and can’t guarantee savings if the function of a building is changed after projects are complete.
Fuller said the Wyoming State Energy Office received 12 proposals from energy service companies and eliminated two that did not fit the program’s requirements. He said facility owners who enroll in the program solicit proposals from the 10 companies involved in WYECIP and then can interview any who submit proposals for that particular project.
An energy audit or assessment for county buildings could include looking at lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, treatment plants and control systems, Fuller said.
A facility owner, such as the county government, has no upfront costs when enrolling in WYECIP, Fuller said. “There are no upfront costs if you do the work (suggested from the audit),” Fuller said.
Once an energy service company is selected, the company will perform an initial assessment of facilities that the facility owner selects. Fuller said if the county participated they would not have to include every county building in the assessment.
If the company finds that there are no projects that would pay for themselves with energy savings, the company covers the costs of the initial evaluation.
If they find projects that would pay for itself over time through energy savings and the facility owner opts not to move forward, the facility owner must pay for the initial assessment. Fuller said the State Loan and Investment Board has provided funding for assessments on a two-to-one matching grant, thus cutting costs to the facility owners. The maximum amount a county would be charged is 12 cents per square foot, Fuller said.
If there are energy savings projects and the facility owner moves forward with the projects, the cost of the projects is funded over time with money that is saved from the energy-efficient projects. Fuller said the company handling the energy conservation improvement program for the facility owner will conduct annual measurement and verification evaluations to make sure that the savings guaranteed are being realized.
Fuller said some of the companies prefer umbrella projects that incorporate several facility owners in one area. He said Fremont County is working with the Town of Dubois, Riverton, Lander, Central Wyoming College and St. Stephens schools. The governmental agencies worked together to select one energy service company to audit facilities for each agency. Big Horn County could work with municipalities in the county that are interested in the program to form an umbrella project.
Also in attendance at Tuesday’s presentation was Burlington Mayor Ken Hockley. Commissioner Bill Duncan said the county invited the mayors from all nine incorporated municipalities.