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HomeNewsMontgomery County receives Tennessee Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award

Montgomery County receives Tennessee Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award

Montgomery County Government TennesseeMontgomery County, TN – On Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018 Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Shari Meghreblian announced Montgomery County as one of their 2018 Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award (GESA) recipients.

The GESA recognizes exceptional voluntary actions that improve or protect the environment and natural resources with projects or initiatives not required by law or regulation.

Montgomery County was recognized in the category of energy and renewable resources for their energy upgrades throughout County facilities.

Tennessee Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award

In October 2016, the Montgomery County Government partnered with Siemens Industry, Inc. to complete a year-long, large-scale lighting retrofit and HVAC upgrade in the Montgomery County Historic Courthouse, Courts Center, Jail, Health Department and the Veterans Plaza property. Over 23,000 lights and fixtures were retrofitted with LED bulbs.

Three chillers and four boilers were replaced with more efficient units. Two 500-gallon hot water storage tanks were replaced, four cooling towers were refurbished and the HVAC automation and variable frequency drive systems were upgraded to increase efficiency at multiple locations. An ozone laundry treatment system for the jail was installed as well as upgrades to over 600 toilets with low flow components.

The $5 million retrofit and upgrade is a self-funded energy efficiency project, saving Montgomery County Government $358,827 annually in its first year. Data collected from October 2017-February 2018 show a total savings of approximately 674,200 kWh. Natural gas savings during the same period is approximately 35,100 Ccf and water savings total approximately 5,046,700 gallons.

TDEC’s Office of Energy Programs and the Clarksville-Montgomery County Green Certification Program provided technical assistance by helping the County determine which improvements would be most beneficial. As a result of the upgrades and financial savings, the County is able to take on additional projects. Montgomery County won a special award for “Outstanding Efforts in Energy Efficiency” at the October 2017 Clarksville-Montgomery County Green Certification Awards banquet and the City of Clarksville is a Valley Sustainable Gold Community.

Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett explained: “This project is very unique, as it will be funded through the savings it generates over time. We will not only be upgrading and replacing much needed items like chillers, boilers and lighting, but at the same time installing equipment that is much more efficient, saving us money on utilities for years to come.”

Award winners will be recognized for their achievements and positive impact on the state’s natural resources in an awards ceremony to be held in Franklin Tennessee on July 9th, 2018.

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