Guaranteed Energy Performance Contract Saves County over $27,000 annually

The Challenge

The jail in Montgomery County, Illinois serves as a prison facility for the city of Hillsboro and other smaller towns surrounding Montgomery. The cooling system at the jail was utilizing R22 refrigerant which, because of its negative effects on the ozone layer, became illegal in the U.S. in 2020. In preparation for this, the County needed to update the cooling system to a newer, more energy efficient and environmentally friendly refrigerant. The jail was also experiencing ongoing plumbing maintenance issues in inmate living quarters.

The Solution

The County partnered with Centrica Business Solutions to update their facilities and reduce energy costs – all without impacting the County budget. Cost-saving efficiency upgrades included:

• Successfully replacing the jail’s cooling system
• Replacing toilet and sink valves to provide water savings
• Updating lighting to energy-saving LEDs
• Improving building envelope efficiency
• Building Automation commissioning

The Impact

All of the upgrades were covered under a Guaranteed Energy Performance Contract, in which the guaranteed energy savings of $27,789 covered all project costs. Additionally, 344 gallons of propane and 416,000 gallons of water were saved. Most importantly, no capital was required.

• Financial Impact: $27,7893 Annual cost savings
• Community Impact: 233,948 kWh saved

By removing this quantity of CO² from the atmosphere, this project will have the same effect on the local community as: