JACKSON, Mich — Solar, geothermal, new heating and cooling systems — Jackson County is in the middle of a $28 million energy makeover. And the company implementing the upgrades is guaranteeing zero net cost to the County. Federal grants and energy savings will pay for the project.
Here's what's in progress…and where taxpayers might see the savings.
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"I'm glad it came to fruition the way it did….It's just a chance to save folks money." — a chance Rick Scheele sought out when he was Jackson County's Director of Facilities.
"We looked at different ways we could bring our buildings up to modern standards in terms of saving energy and better heating and cooling," says Scheele.
Scheele says discussions with an Arizona-based company called Veregy led to a major plan that's now in motion — a plan company leaders say is not expected to cost the county any more than it's already spending — and will lead to energy savings.
"We guarantee energy savings for up to a 30-year period. In this case, we're guaranteeing it for 20 years. The life cycle of most of the stuff we're putting is 30+ years, so the savings will go on once after everything is paid for," says Jackson native Dick Williams, who is Government Market Leader at Veregy.
Right now, the company is working on multiple energy improvement projects in Jackson County, including:
- Solar-paneled carports here at the County Courthouse
- Solar at the Airport, Events Center, and County Department of Transportation
- Geothermal here and at the Human Services Building on Lansing Avenue, and
- HVAC and lighting upgrades at County buildings
But how will those savings be visible to taxpayers? Williams says it will be in the form of cost control:
"Energy costs are going to continue to rise….You're basically safeguarding your future by doing that and proactively using savings to fund equipment that needs to be replaced anyway."
"So, in a sense, you're limiting future increases?" I asked him.
"You're limiting — yeah — the fact that you would normally get if you just kept operating as is," he said.
Scheele says, once laid out to County officials, the savings were clear:
"Anything we can do to keep our buildings going longer and save money at the same time -- they were all for it."
