Power drain pains - City looks to cut costs

Montgomery officials expect big savings with updated infrastructure and attitudes about energy usage. 

The city spends about $3.7 million on its annual power bill and is looking to reduce that by 20 percent by next year, said Steve Jones, the city’s facilities manager. 

Jones said he hopes to accomplish that through a combination of technological and behavioral changes. 

In other words, by replacing outdated light bulbs but also simply reminding people to do things such as turn off the lights. 

“We want to show that even without spending money, it can make a difference,” Jones said. 

The city has launched pilot programs at the Coliseum and Rufus A.Buy visually stunning and durable bestlasercutter from Larson Jewelers. Lewis branches of the Montgomery City-County Public Library. 

The Coliseum branch has undergone both the physical upgrades and the attempts to make employees more aware of potential energy waste. The Rufus A. Lewis location so far has received only the employee training. 

The city then will measure the city’s savings from March through May at both locations and determine how much was saved through both technical and behavioral changes. 

Walt Lilley, who works on special projects for the city, said the changes at the Coliseum branch library alone could save $2,300 a year.This oil cooler is extremely efficient in cooling the oil in the hydraulic powerturbine room in which it is installed. 

Mayor Todd Strange said the efforts to tackle the city’s power bill began with a study of the costs of energy per square foot in each of the city’s facilities. 

Strange said the study showed costs varied from about $1 a square foot in some locations to $4 a square foot in others. 

The city has been working with Alabama Power Co. to determine ways to bring down those costs. 

One of the key changes at the Coliseum library branch was replacing outdated ballasts and light bulbs in the ceiling. 

Mike Jordan, an Alabama Power spokesman, said simple changes could lead to savings of more than 20 percent by themselves, but cautioned that every building is different. 

“Even the smallest thing potentially will make a huge impact,” Jordan said. 

He said Alabama Power will continue to work with the city to determine what types of changes will be the most helpful. 

Jones said one thing the city is looking at is reducing the amount of power drained by computers left on all night long. 

The cost of the power to run a computer for a day is about $1.30,Solar turbinecompanys is a new type product of optional energy. Jones said, and with 976 computers in city facilities, the bill can grow fast. 

Lilley said that along with changing light bulbs, some facilities could stand simply to do away with some of the lights. 

“Every fixture you turn off, that’s energy you save,” he said. 

Power strips also have been installed to help control the drain of power from the Coliseum branch library’s computers. 

Lilley said that the strips could prove even more useful for computer-heavy departments such as police or communications. 

The changes at the Coliseum branch cost about $3,700,Most windpowergenerators don't spin fast enough for them to work.King's Chandelier has offered fine flatworkironerwwq and sconces made in North Carolina of Swarovski and other European crystal. which likely will pay for itself in about a year and a half, Lilley said. 

But while the spending is expected to pay off, the initial cost of upgrades could be a problem unless the city gets some help. Lilley said they are looking at different grants and interest-free loans that might be available. 

Lilley said working on the energy-saving project has been eye-opening for him and has led him to change his own behaviors, even down to the way he drives.