Sullivan County Manager Josh Potosek, second from left, and Sustainability Coordinator Heather Brown, third from right, stand with New York Power Authority officials after receiving the Local Government Project Champion Award.
Albany, NY – Sullivan County Manager Joshua Potosek yesterday traveled to Albany to accept the Local Government Project Champion Award from the New York Power Authority (NYPA) at the organization’s Customer Clean Energy Exchange, a distinguished gathering of industry experts, municipal and business leaders, New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation and other key agencies.
Sullivan County was specifically honored for its achievements in energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction in County operations, exemplified by the recent completion of a comprehensive energy retrofit at the Government Center in Monticello, implemented by NYPA.
“This is a tremendous honor for Sullivan County, as we shared the award stage with the Jacob Javits Center, the NYS Department of Corrections & Community Supervision, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA),” said District 4 Legislator Catherine Owens, chair of the Legislature’s Sustainability Policy Committee. “We continue to be a Statewide leader in green energy initiatives, and I thank NYPA for recognizing our commitment in front of fellow advocates and leaders.”
The project began in 2016 when Sullivan County contracted with NYPA to design and finance long-needed upgrades to building systems at the Government Center. The extensive clean energy retrofit, which was completed in late 2017, included the installation of new boilers and rooftop air conditioning units (HVAC), building management controls and software, and LED lighting throughout the building and parking areas.
“Our 2018 benchmarking data demonstrates the outstanding results: the Government Center achieved significant reductions in electricity use, fuel use and site energy use intensity (EUI) over its 2017 performance and the baseline year data for 2016,” explained Sustainability Coordinator Heather Brown, who leads the Office of Sustainable Energy. “Our energy efficiency improvements at the Government Center resulted in measurably lower energy costs and GHG emissions compared to previous years.”
Energy use intensity (EUI) measures energy use for all forms of energy (fuel oil, electricity, etc.) in proportion to the square footage of the building. This project resulted a 31% improvement in EUI.
Other significant metrics include:
• A 27.6% reduction in GHG emissions at the facility
• A 31.3% reduction in site energy use
• A decrease of 8,000 gallons in fuel oil use
• A reduction of 480,680 kWh in electricity use
• In 2018, the cost savings for all fuels was approximately $86,000
In addition, the Government Center’s federal Energy Star rating rose from 36 in 2016 to 73 in 2018, a more than 100% improvement in overall energy performance.
“Through its active efforts as a Bronze-certified Climate Smart Community and a designated Clean Energy Community, and through numerous legislative resolutions and policies over the past decade, Sullivan County has made a significant commitment to energy efficiency and GHG reduction and will continue to actively address these issues across all operations and in the larger community,” affirmed County Manager Potosek. “The County anticipates additional projects with NYPA, including energy retrofits at the Human Services complex in Liberty, which have just been approved by the County Legislature, and conversion to all LED streetlights and parking area lights at County facilities.”
A public benefit corporation established in 1931, NYPA works with municipal clients to design, install, commission and provide low-cost financing for energy efficiency projects like the County’s Government Center retrofit.