Renovations Could Result in County Savings

County Administrator Clay Goodman>

Roanoke County is in the process of renovating county buildings as part of its overall initiative to improve energy efficiency. The renovations will be funded through utility cost savings. The County also plans to use $300,000 of federal stimulus money to fund additional improvements.

Roanoke County selected Trane to perform a detailed study of its facilities, which began last month. After an in-depth building analysis, Trane will develop a plan to update the buildings’ comfort, lighting, and water systems while adding a greater level of control to all of its building systems.

The renovations will result in significant improvements to 25 County facilities including fire stations, community centers, and libraries. “We’re thrilled to bring the necessary analysis and improvements to these facilities to improve comfort and save money,” says Ross Atherton of Trane. Reducing energy consumption has been a priority for the County for the past eight years.

In 2001, the county implemented a System of Environmental Management using ISO 14001 guidelines to research and implement ways to reduce energy consumption and bills. ISO 14001 is an international standard of environmental operation. The work with Trane will complement the work that is already in place. In 2007, Roanoke County joined Local Governments for Sustainability, also known as ICLEI. To that end, the county

has set a goal for itself to stop increasing carbon emissions by 2012 and to then reduce the County’s carbon emissions by three percent every year thereafter until 2020 as Milestone 2 of the ICLEI program. Roanoke County has also shown its commitment to the environment through its capital projects. The Western Virginia Regional Jail is LEED certified, and the new fleet service center and multi-generational recreation center (Green Ridge Recreation Center) will also receive certification.

“I am proud of our efforts to reduce energy consumption through the programs and projects we have in place and look forward to making our existing buildings even more energy efficient,” says Clay Goodman, Roanoke County Administrator.