As a small municipality, the City of Darlington wanted to reduce its utility bills and maintenance costs. Without paying any money upfront, the City was able to complete a lighting upgrade project in six city buildings.
Funding for the project was provided by a $275,000 loan from the South Carolina Energy Office ConserFund program. The project began in early 2017 and was completed in November 2018. The simple payback period is just over 7.5 years, and the ConserFund loan term is 10 years at a 1.5% annual interest rate.
PROJECT DETAILS
The City replaced lighting in six buildings: A.W. Stanley Gymnasium, City Hall, Council on Aging, Harmon Baldwin Recreation Center, Carnegie Library, and the sanitation building. The contractor, Green Bulb Lighting, LLC began by removing the outdated fluorescent, metal halide, high-intensity discharge, and high pressure sodium lamps. The lamps were replaced with 955 energy-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs.
SAVINGS
Over the term of the loan, the City will save over $360,000 and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by over 2,100 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) – roughly the same as taking 450 cars off the road. These savings on power bills can be used for other City initiatives.
UTILITY INCENTIVES
The City’s electric provider is Duke Energy Progress, which offers customers both special rate plans as well as incentives. Several buildings – including the sanitation building, recreation center, Carnegie Library, and City Hall – are on a time-of-use rate, meaning that power prices vary by the time of day. This can affect energy costs throughout the day. By being more efficient during high-cost times, the City can save on utility bills. Helping to offset project costs, the City also received a rebate from Duke Energy Progress of more than $26,000 for the lighting upgrade.
ABOUT CONSERFUND
ConserFund is a revolving loan program administered by the Energy Office for projects that provide long-term cost reductions and energy savings. Projects may include energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean transportation initiatives. Eligible entities include state agencies, public colleges or universities, school districts, local governments, and 501 (c)(3) non-profit organizations. Loan amounts range from $25,000 to $500,000 per state fiscal year, with an annual interest rate at a fixed rate below the Wall Street Journal prime rate.
The City of Darlington will save over $360,000 with a simple payback period of around 7.5 years.
For information about funding opportunities available through the Energy Office, visit ENERGY.SC.GOV/programs/funding