Lighting, heating and air conditioning upgrades will help Clayton County trim $361,000 from its annual utility bills.
Commission Chairman Eldrin Bell will announce a $5.5 million contract with Trane Commercial Systems on Thursday. It will be paid for over the years through the money saved on energy bills, according to a statement from Bell.
The upgrades are needed to replace aging county facilities and to meet new Environmental Protection Agency mandates, Bell said.
A countywide audit found problems with heating and cooling in seven buildings, along with faulty collection of methane gas at the landfill, according to Melanie Boulay Becker, a spokeswoman for Trane.
Under the contract, the county will install a new methane collection system at the landfill and replace 12,500 light fixtures with high-efficiency lighting to cut down on electricity costs. The county will also replace the heating, ventilation and air condition systems to help reduce energy consumption and install motion sensors in six buildings to help turn off the lights.
The upgrades will be made at the county archives, the annex, the Department of Family and Children Services, the Battle Creek Road library, the Harold R. Banke Justice Complex, the behavioral health building and the landfill.
In addition to the annual utility costs, the county will generate $213,000 a year in carbon credit revenues, Becker said.
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