Enterprise approves agreement to reduce energy consumption

Enterprise councilmembers approved to enter into an agreement with a company specializing in reducing energy consumption.

Jack Mansell, of Energy Systems Group, addressed the council Oct. 15 regarding a guaranteed energy cost savings contract to reduce the energy consumption of the city and ultimately reduce the city’s operating expenses.

“(We’ve) been working with the city almost a year to develop a performance contract,” Mansell said. “That is a type of a contract where the savings that we identify actually cover the cost of the implementation of any improvements that we do.”

The company will review energy usage and implement cost saving measures that would not exceed the amount of energy or operational cost savings within a 20-year period.

The company will review water meter accuracy and automated utility meter reading technology, pumping stations, water service lines, leak detection systems, customer facilities, outdoor lighting systems, street lights, traffic lights, heating and cooling systems, plumbing, controls, roofing, security, insulation, telecommunications, renewable energy projects and green building initiatives.

Mansell said the reviews of utilities all have the focus of improving efficiencies and identifying ways to reduce energy costs.

The company will reimburse the city for any shortfall of guaranteed energy cost savings.

“The agreement has a cost of $48,800, but there is some conditions that we have to meet where the city would have to pay for that,” Mansell said. “One, if you move forward with the final contract that fee would be waved and rolled into the total cost of the agreement. Two, if we can’t bring back a project that pays for itself over 20 years the city would have no obligation to reimburse us for that engineering.”

Mansell said Energy Systems Group has recently signed a similar contract with Fort Rucker for $15 million to make similar improvements in more than 25 buildings.

The city has reviewed several companies that perform energy cost saving evaluations.

“We’re appreciative that we’ve been selected and we’re really looking forward to working with the city,” Mansell said.