Erie County Energy Conservation Program

The Erie County Department of Public Works is responsible for operating and managing the approximately 150 buildings and facilities owned by Erie County. C.J. Brown Energy developed and implemented a long-term, comprehensive energy cost reduction and conservation program to encompass all County-owned facilities. The project was designed to evaluate the current energy usage of County facilities, identify ways that energy use and cost could be reduced, implement cost effective conservation measures, and improve County facilities overall.

C.J. Brown Energy has provided services for numerous projects that were developed and implemented based on the initial work. Services have been provided since 1998 under consecutive term agreements. Many of the projects were completed utilizing NYSERDA programs and funding.

The project consisted of the following stages:

  • Utility/usage/comparison of existing facilities’ energy efficiency to provide a starting point of which facilities to address first for further energy conservation auditing
  • Leveraged energy purchasing/competitive bid process for natural gas and electricity
  • Preliminary energy analysis to identify potential energy conservation measures that would fall within the County’s financial guidelines and that should be looked at on a detailed basis
  • Detailed electric utilization and energy conservation assessments
  • Pre-construction data to provide contractors with a basis for preparing price proposals
  • Project financial arrangements such as capital purchasing, operating lease, capital lease, grants and incentives
  • Final design drawings and specifications for ECMs
  • Construction administration and commissioning