The Carlton City Hall is roughly 90 years old and was in need of attention to bring it up to par with 21st century energy standards. Claudia Van Guilder, the City Administrator of Carlton, felt that an upfront investment in energy efficiency technology would pay off in the long run.
In 2009, Van Guilder assembled a team of local leaders who worked to secure funding through an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG). Her team consisted of Pat Ohman, from the Carlton County Economic Development Authority (EDA), Kirk Johnson, a City Council member, and Guy Wait, the Public Works Supervisor.
An initial energy audit of the buildings revealed a number of efficiency shortcomings including outdated heating and cooling systems and inefficient lighting and controls. The team received $19,070 to improve two municipal buildings—the Carlton City Hall and the City Garage. The funding supported several energy retrofits, including the replacement of furnaces, retrofits of 112 lighting fixtures, and the installation of occupancy sensors and other controls. One of the biggest efficiency improvements came from replacing the two furnaces in City Hall with one high-efficiency natural gas forced air system, improving the system’s efficiency from 80% to 96%.
Wait, who also coordinated the lighting improvements, installed motion sensors for areas of high use and light switches for lower-use areas in each building. These new controls, together with the installation of 112 T8 lighting fixtures, have reduced electrical consumption over the last year.
The building has exceeded its predicted savings in both electric and gas since the implementation of the new technology. Actual savings are calculated at approximately $1,400/year in electric and $2,170/year in gas.
Overall, the City of Carlton has saved over 36,000 kBTU per year. A Btu (British Thermal Unit) is a unit of energy that is equal to the amount of energy it would take to heat one pound of water. One kBtu, or 1,000 Btus, is a measurement that can be thought of as the equivalent of a building’s MPG (miles per gallon) in terms of efficiency calculations.
On the whole, energy usage has been reduced approximately 34% since the implementation of new lighting in Carlton’s City Hall. Capitalizing on funding opportunities and establishing a team with diverse areas of expertise was a successful combination for energy efficiency in the City of Carlton. It could work in your community, too!
Other Local Government Energy Action Heating & Cooling Stories:
- Local Government HVAC & boiler updates: 50+ projects for energy efficiency
- Finlayson Community Center receives boiler, HVAC, and weatherization upgrades
- Discomfort and inefficiency remedied with Breckenridge City Hall boiler replacement
- Hopkins heats up their city’s savings with an energy efficient boiler
- Boilers, controls, and lighting renew Chisholm city buildings
- Building consolidation and upgrades save energy and money in the City of Spicer
About the Local Government Energy Action Series:
This year-long effort tells the stories of nearly 50 Minnesota municipalities, counties, and schools and the tangible results of their energy-saving efforts to inspire others to take their own actions.
Local Government Energy Action is brought to you by the Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources.
