Article
Infrastructure upgrade delivers energy savings for Florida city
Temple Terrace, Fla., and ABM Building Services have collaborated to complete an infrastructure redevelopment project that is saving taxpayer money and maximizing sustainability. The project, which was completed this past October, has helped the city upgrade its infrastructure without increasing spending or raising taxes. The initiative has enabled the city to reduce its maintenance, emergency repair and energy consumption costs.
The local government had been spending approximately $200,000 annually on energy costs prior to the project’s completion. Temple Terrace used Community Investment Tax funds and other monies to pay for more than $3 million worth of infrastructure improvements.
Located just north of Tampa Bay, Temple Terrace has a population of 25,000. The city should reap $1.46 million in net energy and operational savings beyond the cost of these investments over the next 15 years.
Through the project, improvements were made to eight public buildings: City Hall, Family Recreation Complex, Temple Terrace Public Library, Public Works, Omar K. Lightfoot Senior Recreation Center, Whiteway Water Treatment Plant and Well Field, and two fire stations. Much of the 240 tons of HVAC equipment in these facilities was deteriorating, with 57 percent of it having been in use longer than 15 years.
To counter this deterioration, 45 new HVAC units were installed, along with updated HVAC controls. Light-emitting diode (LED) lighting was used to replace 1,600 lights in the buildings to improve energy efficiency, while the leaking windows in City Hall were replaced with impact-resistant alternatives.
“This was a fantastic opportunity to upgrade our facilities, reduce energy costs and eliminate maintenance headaches, all with great financial benefits for the city and no burden on our taxpayers,” Michael Dunn says. He is Temple Terrace’s public information officer.
ABM will monitor Temple Terrace’s annual energy savings over the next 15 years to ensure the city reaches the average estimate of $95,000 per year. The company estimates the operational savings produced by reduced maintenance needs will contribute an additional $100,000 per year.
