Increased Energy Efficiency Planned for State Office Building

The executive director has been working with DFCM and their energy office to investigate the possibilities of combining several small energy related items into one larger ESCO (Energy Services Company) delivery process.

What makes this delivery process unique? Under the ESCO delivery method the selected company would provide a proposal identify the energy projects that have a 5 to 10 year payback as well as the saving in energy associated with each project. The ESCO would then sign an agreement guaranteeing the saving and working with the CPB to obtain funding from a third party with the saving as the payment mechanism. Once the financing is arranged, the ESCO as a type of design Build Company would design the various projects and systems and then oversee as CM (construction manager) the construction. This is all done so the ESCO will at the end of construction guarantee the cost savings. The money then generated from the energy savings over the 5 to 10 year period would go to repay the debt within that same 5 to 10 year time frame.

One of the projects that is also being contemplated is the use of photovoltaic cells. Currently the executive director is reviewing options of where to locate the massive amounts of panels. Once decided then the ESCO will provide the analysis.

In addition to these energy project the CPB may elected to do some seismic work as well as some other work that is needed at this time to keep the State Office Building functioning.

Photovoltaic Panels at the Capitol

The executive director has begun a study which will look at the possibility of using Photovoltaic (PV) Panels to generate energy from the sun to be used to light the Capitol and the Capitol Complex at night.

During the day energy will be developed by the sun through the PV panels. Once the suns energy is turned into electricity it will be placed into the power grid then at night the power will be taken back from the grid to light the Capitol Dome, Capitol Building and the site lighting of the Complex.

It is estimated that the total amount of KWh/yr that would be required to accomplish 100% of the night lighting would be 258,994 KWh/yr or a total watts of 59,131 and would require approximately 990 PV panels. This is the long term goal for the capitol would:
- Cost $2,200,000 engineering and installation
- Save the State $43,000 per year for a payback of 51 years.
- Save 120 Ton of CO2 each year.

While it may appear that a 51 year payback is a very long time in a commercial world, for the State Capitol Complex it make excellent sense since the Capitol and the Complex will always be under the ownership of the State and the Capitol Preservation Board 20 year Master plan is focused on building 100 year plus facilities. Therefore at the end of the Capitol’s next 100 years the State would have saved with PV panels after the initial pay back of the costs (49 years x $43,000/year in FY2009 dollars) over $2.1 million dollars.

Currently this concept is being investigated with a local engineering company. Following the analysis a phased plan of action and funding will be developed and presented to the Capitol Preservation Board.