Green Push: Stimulus funds push public entities to invest in energy efficiency

EDINBURG — It didn't take Randy Monteufel long to figure out the building was leaking like a sieve.

Not only does much of the air pumped out by the climate control system escape from Hidalgo County's old administration building, the system does not bring in enough fresh air from outside the building.

Monteufel admits his energy audit may not be 100 percent accurate - the building is being renovated - but it's evident the county's executive offices are in a "very poor building" in need of tightening up, he said.

"There are significant areas in every building where you can identify energy savings from being more efficient," said the mechanical engineering professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Hidalgo County officials hope their share of President Barack Obama's economic stimulus package will help remedy some of those inefficiencies.

The stimulus package included more than $30 billion for energy investments - money that is starting to spill down to local governments and consumers

In the Rio Grande Valley, six cities and Hidalgo County are finalizing plans to spend $9 million in stimulus funds for energy efficiency projects. An additional $12 million is available to low-income residents to help them weatherize their homes.

The programs aim to reduce total energy use and fossil-fuel emissions through a series of small changes that result in long-term savings.

Monteufel, an expert in reducing energy consumption in public buildings, said small steps such as fixing insulation, replacing old lighting systems and adding double-paned windows can save between 10 to 40 percent on energy bills.

The movement is partly due to a commitment from the federal government to fund programs emphasizing energy efficiency, he said. But with energy costs rising - and not expected to drop soon - more governments will swallow the short-term costs with the goal of recouping those expenses years later through energy savings.

"When energy is cheap, people don't pay attention," Monteufel said. "When it gets more expensive, it comes to everybody's attention."

GREEN BUILDING

Humberto Garza wants to set the standard for green buildings in Hidalgo County.

Garza, the chief administrator of the county's Precinct 2, wants to construct the precinct's planned multi-purpose complex using standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The complex's buildings - designed to save money and reduce waste, water and energy usage - incorporate green technologies in everything from construction materials to a computer system that can power down the structures.

Thus far, Garza can only fit the main building with green standards, using his $800,000 share of federal funds.

If completed, the building would serve as a model for environmentally friendly construction standards in Hidalgo County, Garza said. No municipality in South Texas has received the certification - called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - but cities like Austin have made it a critical component in construction.

"We need to start acting like those other counties," he said. "What better than to put a building as the template for our energy efficiency?"

OTHER OPTIONS

Precinct 2's LEED-certified building is one of several Valley projects that may be funded through the stimulus package's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant.

Other proposals include conducting energy audits, installing solar-powered street lights and making small changes to windows, light fixtures and air conditioning units.

The funds - part of $200 million given to the state - translate into lower utility costs for cities, said Allen Spelce, a spokesman for the State Energy Conservation Office, which is managing the block grant program in Texas. The lower utility costs resulting from the simple repairs free up dollars for other services, which is crucial at a time when many entities are cutting back amid the ongoing recession.

The grant gives cities a way to make investments that often don't pay off for years, said David Garza, the utilities director for the city of Pharr. Some investments such as improved lighting are recouped in energy savings in just a few years, while other expenses such as solar lighting may take two decades or more to pay for themselves.

FUNDING ISSUES

The environmental justification for improving energy efficiency has been well-established, said Saleem Kahn, the president of Texas Energy Engineering Services, an Austin-based consulting group that does energy assessments and designs new buildings.

Improved efficiency reduces demand on the grid, limiting the need to supply more power plants and cutting down on emissions, he said. Utility companies, aware of the cost to build new plants, have long offered incentive programs to reduce demand on the system.

But despite the round of funding in the stimulus package, Kahn said, most buildings aren't as efficient as they need to be.

"There is a lot to do and not enough funding to go around," he said. "People are kind of prioritizing things that really need immediate attention."

Jared Janes covers Hidalgo County government, Edinburg and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4424.