Part 1 in ICLEI’s series on how local governments can respond to the financial crisis and continue climate protection measures amid shrinking budgets.

By Don Knapp, ICLEI Communications Officer
October 13, 2008

It’s no secret that a double whammy is clobbering the budgets of local governments across the country. Plummeting property and sales tax revenues leave them with less to spend, and the credit crisis has devastated their financial investments and made it harder to tap the municipal bond market. From New York City to Duluth, Minn., and Tucson, Ariz., local governments are on the defensive, making drastic cuts to programs and services.

But one of the best ways to fight a double whammy is with a one-two punch of your own. And that punch, say the experts at ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA, is a rededication to energy efficiency, which can save staggering amounts of money and lower greenhouse gas emissions at the same time.

Save Tons of Cash and Tons of CO2

“As budgets shrink and energy costs rise, now is the time for all local governments to take energy efficiency initiatives to the next level,” says Amelia Ravin, AICP, LEED A.P., Regional Director of ICLEI’s Southeast and South Central regions. “Even if you’ve already done much to make your operations more energy efficient, you should ask yourself, What is the next thing I can address? Because energy efficiency is always an ongoing process.

“Some local governments spend tens of millions to power their buildings and keep streetlights lit, and they don’t realize how much control they have over these costs,” adds Ravin. “Efficiency programs can slash these bills, and they’re also a significant way to lower greenhouse gas emissions at a time when climate actions that require larger up-front investment are at greater risk of losing funding.”

Small Changes, Big Savings

Energy efficiency measures are low-hanging fruit: They typically cost little, pay for themselves in the near future, and deliver an appealing return on investment, explains Angela Vincent, Regional Director of ICLEI’s Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Region.

“Turning off lights on vending machines, installing energy-efficient exit-sign lighting, instituting a light-out-at-night and computers-off policy, and installing programmable thermostats are just a few examples of small changes that add up to big cost savings,” she says.

The list of opportunities goes on:

• Conduct an energy audit of municipal facilities
• Use minimum steam operating pressure in buildings
• Clean fouled heat-exchanger surfaces (filter contaminated streams if fouling is heavy)
• Decrease average daily time street lights are on
• Install occupancy sensors in vast use applications
• Maximize time-of-use or peak demand energy use
• Isolate hot equipment from air-conditioned areas

Local governments that have implemented these and other actions for their buildings and infrastructure have repeated sizeable savings:

• In 2007, the first year of its energy management program, Fayetteville, Ark., saved $400,000 in energy costs due to emphasis on energy conservation. One of its initiatives was the installation of programmable thermostats that cost about $100 and paid for themselves in the first month of use.
• The City of Ann Arbor, Mich., received a $630,000 grant from the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority to fund LED retrofits for 1,400 downtown lights. The energy-saving installations will save the city over $100,000 per year.
• In Nashua, N.H., officials replaced light fixtures to improve energy efficiency at Street and Traffic Buildings for an annual saving of $42,000. In addition, lighting upgrades and motion sensors at City Hall delivered an annual savings of $6,500.  New windows and frames in City Clerk offices alone lowered annual energy costs by 30%.

7 Ways Local Governments Can Get Started

Whether you are interested in making infrastructure more energy efficient or promoting conservation among employees, there are countless ideas, programs, and resources to help you get started and save money.

1. Take the ENERGY STAR Challenge. This program by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) aims to improve the energy efficiency of America’s commercial and industrial buildings by 10 percent or more. Sign up and use the free toolkit to get started in your community. >> Learn More
2. Use ICLEI and ENERGY STAR software together. ICLEI’s Clean Air and Climate Protection (CACP) software and the ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager can track building energy use and measure changes to see impact of efficiency projects. >> Learn More
3. Search for state funding resources. Countless states as well as utility companies offer incentives for energy efficiency projects. To find funding in your region, visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency. 
4. Join an ENERGY STAR webinar. The EPA offers ongoing webinars to educate you on a range of useful topics, including “Improving Your Own Facilities: Measuring and Tracking Your Energy Use,” and “Purchasing and Procuring Efficient Equipment.” >> Learn More
   
   Also, check out one of the National Association of Counties’ upcoming “Energy Efficiency in County Buildings” webinars on Oct. 16, Nov. 17, or Dec. 4.
5. Engage city planners and engineers about whether energy efficiency measures are being implemented into current and future building projects. “It’s important to bring energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions into the capital planning process,” says Ravin, “because many times they are not part of the initial discussions.”
6. Visit the Playbook for Green Buildings + Neighborhoods website for guidance, resources, and case studies to advance green buildings, neighborhoods, and infrastructure.
7. Contact your ICLEI regional program officer to discuss further energy efficiency strategies, policy guidance, and regional resources.