The primary purpose of the project, led by Board of Supervisors Deputy Chairman and Stuyvesant Town Supervisor Ron Knott, was to replace outdated heating and cooling systems, lighting fixtures, electrical control panels and implement various other energy-saving measures at the 30-year-old county correctional facility. The facility is home to the offices of the county sheriff, 911 services, as well as the county jail.
“The energy efficiency project at the county jail is a real win for both the environment and taxpayers,” said Supervisor Knott. “As homeowners well understand, you must routinely maintain your property and its mechanical systems to keep it working well. The situation is the same with our public buildings. Our correctional facility is approximately 30 years old, and its heating, cooling and electrical systems were all outdated and needed modernization. We were particularly concerned with maintenance costs, which were increasing as equipment approached the end of its useful life.”
The project was developed and completed in conjunction with Centrica Business Solutions, a leading energy efficiency firm.
“Centrica Business Solutions’ engineers did a great job designing and specifying the project, and its contractors worked really well within tight parameters,” said Knott. “Remember, one of the facility’s main uses is as a jail. It’s a tough building to work in and there were access hurdles to overcome to ensure that we maintained control and security during the installation. They achieved all of that during COVID-19, when we had even more restrictions in place, which was very impressive.”
Supervisor Knott, who also serves as chair of the county Public Works Committee, worked closely with Columbia
County Sheriff David Bartlett on the implementation of the project.
“I’m really excited by the more efficient energy systems we’ve installed at the county correctional facility,” said Sheriff Bartlett. “We worked hard with Supervisor Knott, our county facilities staff and our contractors on getting this job completed, despite the difficulties presented by the COVID pandemic. As a sportsman and conseJVationist, I feel strongly that we must reduce our energy usage to help protect our environment. And saving money for taxpayers is just as important to me, so this project is a real winner."
Following completion of the project, said Supervisor Knott, "Centrica Business Solutions monitored the performance of the equipment for a period of time to make sure we were achieving the projected savings and efficiencies. The results are coming through."
