The Ely Area Senior Center is an important fixture in the Ely community. It has operated out of an old mechanic’s garage since 1982 and provides services to seniors six days a week. In addition to being a place where people can socialize, the center serves as a space for the Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency (AEOA) lunch program, a central bus location, and is used for public city hearing and voting events because it is handicap accessible.
Because of the building’s age and previous use, it was not very energy efficient, and that combined with the center’s popularity has meant that utility bills were beginning to skyrocket. With energy costs straining the Center’s limited budget, the Ely Area Senior Center began to look for solutions.
In 2010, the City of Ely helped the Center to obtain a grant for the installation of solar heating panels. In order to make sure the Ely Senior Center was fully benefitting from this improvement, the Center wanted to perform an energy audit, with a blower-door test and thermal imaging in order to help plan out the center’s next energy-saving move. The ESCC turned to CERTs and applied for a grant to help pay for the labor needed for the energy audit. First, a baseline test was done, which “gave the city a strategy for future weatherization projects,” explained Virginia Ivancich, president of the Ely Senior Center Committee. After the first test, it was determined that a great way to reduce energy costs would be to do air sealing and add insulation to the building.
They ran into challenges, but they weren’t insurmountable. “We didn’t realize the extent of the work scope, money, and time involved when we first began,” said Ivancich. Among these were a number of safety issues related to the project. “We encountered lead issues we didn’t expect. We also had to shut down the center for almost a week to do the air sealing. The spray foam used in the air sealing process needed to be applied by a professional because of the initial toxicity of the product used and then we needed a few days to ventilate the building because of the off gassing.” These inconveniences did not impact the building’s use for very long. “After a few days the air quality was back to normal,” said Ivancich.
Another blower-door test was ordered after the insulation was installed in order to ensure the work had been done properly and sealed all the leaks. Happily, the installation was a success and the Center has seen a large drop in its heating and cooling costs due to the effectiveness of the work done to address drafts and heat loss.
Looking back, Virginia says that having the work inspected by a third party was crucial, since any remaining leaks would render the project’s energy saving goals moot. She also pointed to the lead issues as an example of what can happen if you don’t know what is needed to prepare for an upcoming energy efficiency project. Since the lead was an unknown, it took time to find, address, and dispose of.
The project became an example of what is possible when a city comes together. “Local newspapers, radio stations, and local organizations helped raise money for the project,” explained Virginia, “The local school kids will be helping in creating signage for the building to be displayed in the Senior Center windows so that any person passing by can see what was done, what the baseline energy costs were, how much the project costs and how much the Seniors will save in their energy bills and the reduction of their carbon footprint.”
Senior citizens obviously benefit greatly from the reduction of the building’s energy bills, but the project’s benefits have had other effects as well. For example, the children who worked on the signs for the Center were excited to apply calculations they learned in school to a real-life project. In addition, local contractors gained valuable experience working on energy retrofits and best building practices. Even after the completion of this project, the Ely Senior Center continues to make plans for a more energy-efficient future. Upcoming projects include increasing the efficacy of the boiler system and a lighting upgrade. As Virginia points out, they still have a lot of things to accomplish, but their objective of saving energy has gotten off to a good start and they continue to charge ahead.
Project Snapshot:
- Location: City of Ely, St. Louis County
- Technology: Efficiency
- Total Project Cost: $21,500
- CERTs Grant: $3,500
- Estimated Annual Savings: $1,800 in heating and cooling bills
Other Local Government Energy Action Building Recommissioning Stories:
- Building recommissioning: Studies toward optimal energy management
- A citywide efficiency overhaul: Saint Paul recommissioning, lighting, and community outreach
- Community center is Chisago City’s energy efficiency dream come true
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 Resource
