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City of Mesa Scores Green from SRP for Going Green

            

           The City of Mesa is cashing in after a concerted effort to go green at several City facilities. The City received $248,479 from Salt River Project (SRP) for the energy savings achieved through its participation in the SRP Standard Business Solutions and SRP Custom Business Solutions programs. The programs offer rebates for both new construction and retrofit energy-efficiency projects. Mesa has saved more than 3.1 million kilowatt-hours (kWh), which is enough electricity to power nearly 200 homes for a year.

           “Sustainability is vitally important, and our partnership with SRP, along with other conservation measures, is saving the City of Mesa a tremendous amount of energy and money,” District 5 Councilwoman and Sustainability Council Sub-Committee chair Dina Higgins said. “The City is ‘getting green by going green,’ and it is making a huge difference financially and environmentally.”

           Examples of savings at City-owned buildings through the SRP partnership include the following:

·        At the Southeast Wastewater Treatment Plant, 6308 E. Baseline Road, new turbo blowers and other equipment were installed, saving 2,085,818 kWh and earning a rebate of $190,000.

·        At the Red Mountain Library, 635 N. Power Road, retrofit lighting, lighting controls and occupancy sensors were installed, saving 535,479 kWh and earning a rebate of $16,724.54.

·        At the East Mesa Service Center, 6939 E. Decatur St., retrofit lighting and occupancy sensors inside the building and lighting controls in the parking lot were installed, saving 229,641 kWh and earning a rebate of $17,079.36.

·        At the Public Safety Training Facility, 3260 N. 40th St., and six Mesa fire stations, energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, occupancy sensors and

           retrofit lighting was installed, saving 187,827 kWh and earning a rebate of $13,351.44.

In addition, a 5-kilowatt and 15-kilowatt system were installed at two fire stations providing solar energy to the buildings and reducing monthly energy usage.

           “A wastewater treatment plant and a library use energy very differently, but projects in both facilities qualified for rebates. It is a great example to show that regardless of your business, there is an SRP Business Solutions rebate to help you save,” SRP Manager of Program Marketing and Corporate Events Cindy Marzofka said. “Dedicated partners like the City of Mesa help us maximize efficiency – and the City directly benefits from initial rebates to ongoing energy savings each year from these improvements.”

           Mesa will be the first government agency profiled by SRP in a series of case studies that feature business customers participating in SRP’s energy-conservation programs. The City of Mesa began participating in the SRP Standard Business Solutions and Custom Business Solutions programs in 2011. Mesa will place its rebates in a designated savings fund to be used for more energy-efficient projects in the City.

           In addition to forming a partnership with SRP, the City used $4.2 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in 2009 to enact a comprehensive approach to energy savings at all City facilities. Examples include the following:

·        The Transportation Department installed 2,500 LED streetlamps for a savings of more than 500,000 kWh annually. This translates to a savings of 40 percent on energy bills.

·        In 2011, Mesa installed its first solar system. The system, at the Central Arizona Project plant at 7750 E. Brown Road, is generating 150,000 kWh of clean energy annually.

·        The City’s Fleet Services parking lot had controls installed to dim 65 1,000-watt lamps, which resulted in an energy-usage savings of 50 percent.

·        “Cool roof” coating projects took place at 12 City buildings to reduce building cooling loads.

·        The City conducted energy audits and adopted International Energy Conservation Code standards.

           The estimate for total energy savings at City of Mesa buildings and facilities for the 2012-13 fiscal year is estimated at $407,100, not including the rebate check presented by SRP.

           To learn more about energy-saving rebates, visit savewithsrpbiz.com or call (602) 236-3054. Customers are eligible for as much as $300,000 in rebates per program year. Rebates are available on a first-come, first-served basis until SRP funding has been committed. 

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