Gov. Perdue Announces $8.5 million for Energy Projects Federal Recovery Funds Will Cut Utility Bills, Create Jobs, and Promote Alternative Energy Sources

Gov. Bev Perdue announced today the North Carolina Energy Office has awarded $8.5 million in federal Recovery Act funds to 43 public and private agencies to make downtown local government and small businesses more energy efficient, promote conservation and use of renewable fuels in industrial buildings and provide for greater energy efficiency in commercial and large nonprofit facilities.

“These investments are more than much-needed job creating investments in our communities,” said Gov. Perdue.  “These projects also will make businesses and government facilities more energy efficient, which holds down costs and helps -- particularly during these challenging economic times -- control government spending on utilities.”

North Carolina has distributed nearly 90 percent of the federal Recovery Act funds it has been allocated through the State Energy Program and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant programs. Theses most recent project awards are estimated to inject $16.1 million into the state’s economy through three N.C. Energy Office initiatives:

• $3.9 million through 17 “Main Street” projects that build on the existing Main Street Program coordinated by the Division of Community Assistance in the N.C. Department of Commerce.
• $7.8 million through the 15 “commercial renewables initiatives” to implement energy conservation projects that invest in renewable technology
• $4.4 million through 11 “Energy Efficiency for Commercial, Industrial and Non-Profits” projects to provide significant energy savings and job creation for contractors working with the businesses to improve building efficiency.

MAIN STREET PROJECTS ($3.9 million) (to be matched by at least 50 percent from other sources):

• Burlington Downtown Corporation, Alamance County -- $101,794 for energy efficiency initiatives in 12 buildings in downtown Burlington.
• Concord, Cabarrus County -- $245,482 – To provide for the solar panel project on the municipal parking deck.
• Davidson, Mecklenburg County -- $85,225 for energy efficiency upgrades to Town Hall and two downtown businesses.
• Forest City, Rutherford County -- $227,781 for energy efficiency upgrades to seven downtown businesses.
• Goldsboro, Wayne County -- $230,410 – To upgrade city hall and provide energy efficient lighting, heating and air conditioning, and chiller improvements at the city fire and police complex.
• Granite Falls, Caldwell County -- $65,338 for energy efficiency upgrades to eight Main Street businesses.
• Henderson, Vance County -- $31,570 for downtown City Hall roofing insulation and energy efficient roofing membrane.
• Henderson-Vance Downtown Commission, Vance County -- $107,202 for energy efficient upgrades in three downtown businesses.
• Hendersonville, Henderson County -- $90,455 for energy efficiency upgrades at four businesses on Main Street.
• Lenoir, Caldwell County -- $116,306 for energy efficiency upgrades to 16 downtown businesses.
• Rocky Mount, Nash County -- $236,000 to upgrade street light figures and make energy improvements to three downtown businesses.
• Sanford, Lee County -- $67,385 for lighting retrofits and upgrades for the Temple Theatre in downtown Sanford.
• Sylva, Jackson County -- $38,000 for energy efficiency upgrades and retrofits for nine downtown businesses.
• Tarboro, Edgecombe County -- $196,671 – To provide for energy efficiency initiatives in seven Main Street District businesses.
• Washington, Beaufort County -- $71,538 for energy efficient upgrades in seven Main Street businesses in downtown Washington.
• West Jefferson, Ashe County -- $30,850 for energy efficient heating/cooling and lighting upgrades to Town Hall.
• Wilkesboro, Wilkes County -- $82,095 for energy efficiency upgrades to the Wilkes Heritage Museum and Betty’s Breads and Pastries.

COMMERCIAL RENEWABLES INITIATIVES ($1.6 million):

• ABB, Ltd., Edgecombe County -- $200,000 for a rooftop solar system to be installed at an ABB manufacturing plant in Pinetops.  Total cost of the project is $1,490,400.
• Black Farms, Harnett County -- $64,158 to capture methane from an existing swine farm housing about 5,900 hogs in eight barns in Harnett County.  Methane will be drawn from covered lagoons and used to generate power using an engine generator set.  Total cost of the project is $256,630.
• Bruce Cox; Cox Lake Dam, Randolph County -- $50,000 to support modifications to improve the efficiency of the existing small hydropower generation system at Cox Lake Dam on the Deep River, north of Ramseur.  Total cost of the project is $252,660.
• Cannon Memorial YMCA, Cabarrus County -- $50,404 to install a solar thermal rooftop collector system to supply 2,000 gallons of hot water per day for showers and janitorial purposes. Total cost of the project is $252,021.
• Davidson College, Mecklenburg County -- $200,000 for a solar system on the Baker Sport Complex to offset energy usage at the sport complex.  Total cost of the project is $670,648.
• FLS Owner II – Guilford College, Guilford County – $200,000 for a multi-site solar rooftop project consisting of eight solar thermal systems supplying hot water in four student residence halls, Guilford College’s dining facility, the Ragan-Brown Field House, and the Hege Library.  Total cost of the project is $1,291,102.
• FLS Owner II – Acme McCrary, Randolph County -- $200,000 for a solar thermal renewable energy project consisting of 200 solar thermal collectors delivering 10,000 gallons of solar heated water daily will be installed at the Acme-McCrary knitted products manufacturing plant in Asheboro.  Total cost of the project is $1,174,352.
• Henderson County -- $71,419 for solar thermal systems at the Henderson County Courthouse and the Detention Center in Hendersonville. The systems will produce hot water supplying the inmate cafeteria, showers, laundry facilities, and other hot water needs.  Total cost of the project is $357,097.
• Layne’s Family Pharmacy, Rockingham County -- $140,525 for a rooftop solar project to offset energy usage at Layne’s Pharmacy in Eden.  The total cost of the project is $562,100
• Mars Hill, Madison County -- $76,000 for a photovoltaic array and solar hot water system with two collectors.  Uses for the rooftop 12 kW PV portion of the project includes offsetting energy use at the Mars Hill Library.  The total project cost is $156,000.
• Morgan Mechanical Contractors, Rockingham County -- $198,750 for a rooftop solar system to offset energy usage at existing Morgan Mechanical Contractor office in Eden.  Total cost of the project is $795,000.
• Myers Park Baptist, Mecklenburg County -- $52,500 for a solar thermal system at Myers Park Baptist Church in Charlotte.  Water from the solar thermal system will be used meet the domestic hot water needs of the Church.  Total cost of the project is $105,000.
• Preformed Line Products, Stanly County -- $53,263 for solar systems to installed at the Preformed Line Products manufacturing facility in Albemarle.  Preformed Line Products manufactures solar racking equipment (among other cable and fiber optic equipment) and will demonstrate a variety of racking equipment manufactured by Preformed with the systems installed in this project.  Total cost of the project is $213,051.
• Watauga County -- $40,931 to for a landfill gas to energy project at the Watauga County Landfill.  Uses of the electricity generated include: an animal shelter and an arts education center. Waste thermal energy and landfill gas will be used to heat a greenhouse complex.  Total cost of the project is $81,862.
• YMCA of Western North Carolina, Buncombe County -- $24,719 for a solar thermal rooftop collector system projected to supply 1,000 gallons per day of hot water used for showers and janitorial purposes at the YMCA in Asheville.  Total cost of the project is $123,596.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY FOR COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL AND NON-PROFITS ($3 million):

·         Armacell, LLC, Catawba County -- $165,000 to replace the 400-W HID lights in its 250,000-square-foot production facility with T5HO fluorescent lighting at its Conover facility.  Total cost of the project is $165,000.

·         Bissell Companies, Mecklenburg County -- $118,660 for re-commissioning and controls optimization of 24 buildings over 1,850,000 square feet of office space.  Total cost of the project is $239,933.

·         BSH Home Appliances, Craven County -- $142,899 to replace over 600 metal halide fixtures with T5HO fluorescent lighting high bay fixtures with occupancy sensors in the warehouse facility.  Total cost of the project is $229,165.

·         DAK Americas, Brunswick County -- $500,000 to replace the HVAC system in their administration building and convert to chilled water based, variable air volume system incorporating multiple frictionless magnetic bearing centrifugal chillers with water cooled condensers.  Total cost of the project is $750,000.

·         General Dynamics Satcom Technologies, Catawba County -- $242,675 to update and retrofit facilities at Newton and Catawba offices with energy efficient fixtures and lighting.  Total cost of the project is $242,675.

·         Kapstone Kraft, Halifax County – $500,000 to install a Steam Profiler and modify the transfer path of the paper sheet to prevent rewetting.  The addition of the Steam Profiler will allow condensate flash steam that is currently vented to be reused. Modifying the transfer path to prevent rewetting will save 11,670-lbs/hr of (1) water that needs to be withdrawn from the Roanoke River and (2) heated into dryer steam. Total cost of the project is $918,906.

·         NEPTCO, Caldwell County – $458,500 to replace an inefficient hydrocarbon oxidizer with a new, more efficient unit. NEPTCO will also replace metal halide and T12 fixtures and lamps with T8s.  Total cost of the project is $458,500.

·         Pine Hall Brick, Rockingham County -- $266,885 to increase its site energy efficiency by installing a more efficient lighting system, replacing its HVAC systems with more energy efficient units, upgrading the pressure control system on its kilns for more efficient operation, and changing its process to reduce load.  Total cost of the project is $266,885.

·         South Atlantic Services, New Hanover County – $108,711 to replace over 600 metal halide fixtures with 4-lamp and 10-lamp T5HO fluorescent lighting high bay fixtures and T8 fixtures.  Total cost of the project is $161,481.

·         Unifi Manufacturing, Inc., Rockingham County – $219,958 to replace over 3000 T12 lamps and ballasts with T8 lamps and ballasts in the Reidsville plant and administrative areas.  Total cost of the project is $550,000.

·         Van Wingerden, Henderson County -- $310,000 to install and integrate a hot water storage tank into its existing climate control system to reduce boiler cycling and purging.  Total cost of the project is $445,000.