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OCEAN COUNTY – Innovative conservation measures has netted a savings of more than $1.2 million in the County.
Saving energy literally makes not only sense but many dollars, said Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners Joseph H. Vicari, noting that Ocean was the first county in the state to implement an Energy Savings Improvement Program (ESIP).
The $1.2 million in incentives from the State Board of Public Utilities was based on the installation of the Combined Heat and Power & Fuel Cell (CHP) at the Ocean County Justice Complex at 120 Hooper Avenue in Toms River.
The CHP, which is an energy efficient heating and cooling system, is the centerpiece of the County’s energy program. The incentives were paid between 2019 and 2022.
“By implementing a cutting-edge Energy Savings Improvement Program, Ocean County has directly impacted the ability to stretch County dollars and achieve higher levels of fiscal responsibility. In turn, we are doing our part for the environment with buildings that run cleaner and more efficiently,” Vicari said.
Ocean County has seen a saving of $650,000 annually since the implementation of the energy savings program was launched in 2014.
It started when the County requested participation in the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Local Government Energy audit that identified cost-justified energy efficiency measures in various facilities located in the downtown Toms River complex.
The Ocean County Justice Complex, the Ocean County Jail, the East Wing of the Ocean County Courthouse, the Ocean County Administration Building, the Ocean County Government offices at 129 Hooper Avenue, the Ocean County Parking Garage and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Building were all part of the audit that was performed.
Included within the audit was a review of electric and natural gas usage, lighting systems, HVAC equipment and controls, as well as building envelopes including roofs, windows, doorways, and occupancy schedules and maintenance practices.
Ocean County Administrator Michael J. Fiure said that as a result of the audit, Ocean County developed the Energy Savings Improvement Plan to implement cost effective energy efficiency measures and facility upgrades including the replacement and upgrading of antiquated equipment with energy resilient systems.
These systems were designed to reduce operating expenses, save energy and reduce emissions. These improvements were funded with incentives offered by the state of New Jersey along with the fact that the county was paying less per year in energy, according to Fiure.
“It’s important that we have a reliable energy system to keep the power on in our buildings during storms or other incidents that can result in the loss of power. Ocean County government needs to continue to function during these times and the CHP has been doing its job while saving us money,” Fiure said
Vicari said, “by installing high tech, energy efficient systems, we are realizing the substantial savings that comes along with it. We want to make certain our buildings are powered with clean and efficient energy. These steps help save money and protect our environment.”
“The incentives made undertaking the energy master plan extremely worthwhile. This was an important step in the work Ocean County has been doing to create more energy efficient facilities,” Vicari added.