$2.2 Million in Clean Tennessee Energy Grants Awarded
Twenty-One Recipients to Receive Grants for Projects Promoting Energy Efficiency,
Benefiting the Environment and Bottom Line
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau today awarded more than $2.2 million to fund energy efficiency projects for local governments and municipalities, utilities, and other private and public organizations across Tennessee.
The Clean Tennessee Energy Grants were awarded to 21 recipients for projects designed to reduce air emissions, improve energy efficiency and create cost savings. The grant program provides financial assistance to state and local government agencies, utility districts, and quasi-government entities in Tennessee to purchase, install and construct energy projects.
“These projects reduce emissions, increase energy efficiencies and reduce taxpayer costs, and they highlight local efforts to improve the quality of life as we continue our work to make Tennessee the best place to live, work and raise a family” Haslam said.
Eligible categories of the Clean Tennessee Energy Grant Program included:
- Cleaner Alternative Energy – biomass, geothermal, solar, wind
- Energy Conservation – lighting, HVAC improvements, improved fuel efficiency, insulation, idling minimization
- Air Quality Improvement – reduction in greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds, oxides of nitrogen, hazardous air pollutants
“We continue to look for ways to promote environmental awareness and energy efficiency within state government and within Tennessee’s communities,” said Commissioner Martineau. “We are very pleased with the impressive roster of applicants seeking energy efficient ways to decrease emissions and reduce expenses at the local level.”
Funding for the projects comes from an April 2011 Clean Air Act settlement with the Tennessee Valley Authority. Under the Consent Decree, Tennessee will receive $26.4 million over five years to fund clean air programs in the state (at approximately $5.25 million per year). As part of the grant program’s initial offering, a total of $5.3 million in Clean Energy Grants was awarded in 2012 to a variety of projects within state government, municipalities, utilities, state colleges and universities and communities throughout the state.
The maximum grant amount per project is $250,000 and requires match from the applicant. Grant recipients were chosen based on the careful consideration to meet the selection criteria and for those projects that expressed the greatest need. To learn more about the Clean Tennessee Energy Grant and future grants, please visit www.tn.gov/environment/energygrants/ or contact Kathy Glapa at (615) 253-8780 or Kathy.Glapa@tn.gov.
The following pages list all 2014 CTEG grant recipients.
County | Recipient Organization | Grant Amount | Brief Project Description |
|---|---|---|---|
Bledsoe | City of Pikeville | $250,000.00 | The City of Pikeville will be installing new windows, lighting, HVAC systems, and insulation at the old Pikeville Elementary School. This project is an essential first step towards retrofitting the old school and bringing it online as the new Pikeville Municipal Complex, which will house the city's municipal offices, utility and police departments, courtroom, community kitchen, and training facilities to aid with workforce development and industrial recruitment. This project is estimated to save 54, 625 kilowatt hours annually as well as $10,005.00. These reductions in energy usage are estimated to reduce air emissions by the following: 59 pounds of nitrogen oxides, 186 pounds of sulfur dioxide, and 78,497 pounds of carbon dioxide. |
Bradley | Cleveland Utilities- Hiwassee River Wastewater Treatment Plant | $30,000.00 | The Hiwassee River Wastewater Treatment Plant utilizes a flow through sequencing batch reactor treatment type of process to treat wastewater. The facility utilizes six 200 horsepower motors and blowers that force air through wastewater for treatment. Three of the six motors are not premium efficiency motors. The project is to replace the three lower efficiency motors with premium efficiency motors to reduce energy consumption. This project is estimated to save 93,727 kWh per year as well as saving $7,535.00. This reduction will reduce overall emissions from local power plants by: 101 pounds of nitrogen oxides, 319 pounds of sulfur dioxide, and 134,679 pounds of carbon dioxide. |
Carroll | Carroll County Emergency Communications District | $12,480.00 | Carroll County Emergency Communications District plans to retrofit their current communication center with new energy efficient lighting and windows. This project will also add additional insulation to the existing material in the attic. The single pane windows will be replaced with insulated, double pane ones which will see an annual energy savings of 5,558 kWh and a monetary savings of $521.23. Installing new energy efficient lighting will produce an annual energy savings of 16,623 kWh and a monetary savings of $1,558.91. Additional attic insulation will provide an annual energy savings of 4,868 kWh and a monetary savings of $456.52. The total estimated energy savings for this project will be 27,049 kWh and a total carbon dioxide emission reduction of 38,931 pounds, with an annual monetary savings estimated at $2,536.66. |
Coffee | Tullahoma Utilities Board | $102,000.00 | The Tullahoma Utilities Board operates a 5 million gallon per day wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The plant utilizes four 75 horsepower Roots positive displacement single speed blowers to provide the aeration required by the WWTP in the main reactor basins-two of these blowers run continuously. There are also two 25 hp Roots positive displacement single speed blowers that provide air for the WWTP's pre-react basins-one of which runs continuously. The project involves installation of a variable speed turbo compressor to replace the inefficient positive replacement blowers, and replacement of the Sanitare Silver Series fine bubble disk membranes. The project is expected to see a total energy savings of approximately 57 kW, resulting in an annual energy cost savings of about $36,000. Annually, air emissions will be reduced by the following: 539 pounds of nitrogen oxides, 1,702 pounds of sulfur dioxide, and 717,541 pounds of carbon dioxide. |
Dickson | Water Authority of Dickson County (WADC) | $15,362.00 | In 2009, the Water Authority of Dickson County contracted a firm to evaluate the lighting gat the administration complex and four of its treatment plants. Since the evaluation, only the administration complex has been retrofitted with upgrades. This project is to upgrade the Jones Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant's lighting fixtures. Most of the fixtures are original to 1978 construction. The project will replace 128 existing lighting fixtures with energy efficient ones. The annual savings are projected at 173,364 kWh and $13,869. The annual estimated air emission reductions are as follows: 130 tons of Carbon Dioxide, 954 pounds of Sulfur Dioxide, and 2,212 pounds of Nitrogen Oxides. |
Dickson | Dickson Housing Authority (DHA) | $250,000.00 | The Dickson Housing Authority is proposing to complete energy conservation improvements including the replacement of 47 inefficient heating and air conditioning systems with new Energy Star rated heating and air-conditioning, replacement of 850 compact fluorescent light bulbs with Energy Star rated LED bulbs and replacement of 703 existing single pane windows with Energy Star rated insulated windows. This project is expecting to save 233,276 kilowatt hours and $31,534 annually. This proposed reduction in energy consumption equates to the following reductions in air emissions: 264 pounds of nitrogen oxides, 833 pounds of sulfur dioxide, and 452,796 pounds of carbon dioxide. |
Gibson | Milan Housing Authority (MHA) | $108,450.00 | The Milan Housing Authority is proposing to complete energy conservation improvements including replacing 27 inefficient electric wall heating units and window air-conditioners with new Energy Star rated air source heat pumps as well as replacing 27 old electric water heaters with new Energy Star rated water heaters. The overall goal of this project is to create a more comfortable, safe and healthy living environment for the MHA residents while lessening the MHA's overall impact on the environment by reducing energy use and implementing green, environmentally friendly construction practices. This project is estimating to save 134,811 kilowatt hours and $13,346 annually. This proposed reduction in energy consumption equates to the following reductions in air emissions: 145 pounds of nitrogen oxide, 459 pounds of sulfur dioxide, and 193,729 pounds of carbon dioxide. |
Greene | Town of Greeneville | $197,000.00 | The Town of Greeneville is purchasing an AutoCar E3 Hybrid automated garbage truck that will be utilized in its Municipal Solid Waste Division. RunWise replaces the conventional transmission to utilize hydraulic pressure to propel the truck. When the truck is stared the engine and primary bent axis pump and motor charge high pressure accumulators. When the driver engages the throttle, the truck's stored energy is used to drive the truck hydraulically. The stored hydraulic energy is used until it is gone, at which point the truck's engine engages and supplies the power. Each time the drive presses the brakes (which for a garbage truck is several hundred times a day) energy is stored in the accumulators, reducing the need for power from the engine. The trucks currently in their fleet that the E3 Hybrid would replace use an annual average of 5,288 gallons of fuel at a cost of $16,285. Use of the E3 could potentially save the Town of Greeneville 2,908 gallons of fuel or $8,957 annually. |
Hamilton | City of East Ridge | $72,500.00 | The City of East Ridge is installing energy efficient HVAC units at Camp Jordan Arena. The arena is a 34,000 square foot facility with 27,000 square feet of exhibition space. The facility is used as an indoor soccer arena during the winter months and is used year-round for a variety of community events and activities. Both private and non-profit groups may rent the facility, which makes it a popular venue for exhibitions and trade shows. The replacement of the HVAC system will save 289,525 kilowatt hours annually and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 271 tons. With this reduction in kilowatt hours, the City could potentially save $26,057 annually. |
Hamilton | City of Red Bank | $43,962.00 | The City of Red Bank is proposing to make improvements that will drastically increase the energy efficiency at several municipal facilities. At the City of Red Bank Fire Station #2, the City will install a new HVAC unit, make lighting improvements and install energy efficient windows. The City of Red Bank public tennis courts will also have an energy efficient furnace installed that will reduce gas usage by 102 therms annually. Lastly, the lighting fixtures at the City of Red Bank Police Department will be upgraded. All projects combined, the electric savings will total 87,924 kilowatt hours per year, saving the City of Red Bank $15,800 annually. Annual air emission will be reduced by the following: 182 pounds of nitrogen oxides, 557 pounds of sulfur dioxide, and 125,783 pounds of carbon dioxide. |
Hardin | Savannah, Tennessee | $91,604.00 | Savannah will use the grant funds to implement energy savings measures with the installation of energy efficient ceiling lights, replacement of 10 HVAC units with an energy efficiency of SEER 13, reconstruction of a 4600 section of flat roof with energy saving materials to reduce energy consumption for heating and cooling purposes, and construction of vestibules at the main three entrances to the City Hall. The total estimated annual energy usage reduction is estimated to be 27,601 kWh, which is equivalent to 19.5 metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions. The estimated annual yearly savings for the upgrades will be approximately $3,126.00. |
Lawrence | Lawrenceburg Utility Systems | $25,000.00 | The City of Lawrenceburg, operating through the Lawrenceburg Utility System (LUS), maintains a water treatment facility along Shoal Creek. This project will replace the existing 90 percent efficient electric motors with new premium efficiency motors which operate at 94.5 percent efficiency, install variable speed drive units on each pump to allow reduced operational pressures and lower power costs, and install al level monitoring and control system that will utilize the VFD drive units to regulate the spring overflow required by TDEC while maximizing the withdrawal rate to the City. The project is estimated to save 107,748 kilowatt hours annually as well as save the City of Lawrenceburg $6,917.00. Based on the kW per month numbers, the emissions reductions are as follows: 117 pounds of nitrogen oxides, 367 pounds of sulfur dioxide, 154,837 pounds of carbon dioxide. |
Loudon | City of Lenoir City | $250,000.00 | Lenoir City plans to renovate the War Memorial Building which was completed in 1951 and was built as a memorial to fallen veterans. These renovations include improving the HVAC units, lighting upgrades, window upgrades, roof and insulation improvements as well as gymnasium wall improvements. The overall aspiration of this project is to restore an aging community landmark by making it as energy efficient as possible and leave a greatly improved building that will be used by current and future citizens of Lenoir City. This project could reduce the electricity by an estimated 1,571 kilowatt hours a month. This would equate to air emission reductions of 20 pounds of nitrogen oxides, 64 pounds of sulfur dioxide, and 27,094 pounds of carbon dioxide. |
Monroe | Tellico Area Services System (TASS) | $27,500.00 | The proposed project will replace the existing HVAC system, windows, mixer drives and motors, and lighting fixtures at the TASS water treatment plant. The existing HVAC and lighting systems are approximately 40 years old and inefficient and will be replaced with new high efficiency units. The mixer motors and drives will be replaced with high efficiency lower horsepower units. The existing single pane windows will be replaced with new double pane, insulated windows. The project will realize approximately 914,595 kWh and $121,045.00 in long-term energy and cost savings over the next 15 years. The total yearly emission reductions for the project are as follows: 66 pounds of nitrogen oxides, 208 pounds of sulfur dioxide, 87,619 pounds of carbon dioxide. |
Morgan | Morgan County | $41,390.96 | Morgan County is installing a turn-key, fixed photovoltaic roof mounted solar array totaling 24.9 kilowatts that will generate 31,867 estimated kilowatt-hours for the Morgan County Highway Department building. The panels will be placed on the southern facing slope of the building and also allow the arrays to span across the roof above the corrugated metal roof seams. The solar array will also have adjustable tilt legs to allow for maximum peak sunlight and generation. The solar panel project will provide air emission reductions of about 588,141 pounds of greenhouse gases each year. It is also estimated that the savings from the addition of the solar panels would reduce energy usage by 31,867 kWh annually. |
Rutherford | Rutherford County | $130,241.00 | Rutherford County is renovating the existing leaking roof of the Adult Detention Center with a VFI 540 Aluminum two part polyurethane roofing system and increase the roofs R-value with 1.5 inch minimum of polyurethane roof foam. Also, Rutherford County is replacing 3,149 outdated lights with new LED lighting that will reduce energy cost and overall bulb life. Through the use of LED lighting technology, added R Value from roof insulation is expected to yield an annual savings of over $53,358.00 and reduce air emissions by the following: 954,056 pounds of carbon dioxide, 2262 pounds of sulfur dioxide, and 717 pounds of Nitrogen Dioxide. |
Rutherford | Rutherford County Governemt | $23,400.00 | Rutherford County Government will replace two high mileage less fuel efficient sport utility vehicles, Jeep Cherokees, that average 16 miles per gallon with more energy efficient and lower carbon foot print 2014 Ford C-max hybrid vehicles that average 42.5 miles per gallon. By replacing the Jeep Cherokees with two 2014 Ford C-max Hybrids, energy consumption should be reduced by 62 percent and reduce carbon dioxide by 22,815 pounds annually. These energy savings will also save an estimated $3,217.50 annually in gasoline costs. |
Shelby | Shelby County Government | $250,000.00 | The goal of this project is to make the Shelby County Corrections facility a model of sustainability. Shelby County will add multiple solar thermal systems on housing units to use as the primary source for heating water instead of natural gas and an ozone laundry system to conserve on both natural gas and water. As a part of their broader goals, inmates will be trained valuable skills during the installation and maintenance of these products as a re-entry strategy. The long term savings over a 20 year period for the full project is $1,668,760 in cost, 2,864,200 ccf in natural gas and 37,080 ccf in water usage. |
Sullivan | City of Kingsport | $175,000.00 | Kingsport's wastewater treatment plant is rated at 112.4 million gallons per day and is equipped with three 300 horsepower multistage centrifugal blowers for aeration of activated sludge. The average daily flow is approximately 8.7 million gallons per day. The city operates one blower at its minimum turndown point, but still exceeds the aeration demands. This mode of blower operation results in excessive energy usage. The purpose of this project is to reduce energy usage through the installation of a properly sized and more energy efficient blower system. The potential energy savings is estimated at approximately 40 percent with an estimated annual electrical savings of approximately $28,000. This project will result in overall emission reductions across the board of nearly 40 percent and will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over half a million pounds per year. |
Warren | McMinnville Housing Authority | $115,253.00 | The overall goal of this project is to create a more comfortable, safe and healthy living environment for the McMinnville Housing Authority residents while lessening the overall impact on the environment by reducing energy use and implementing green, environmentally friendly construction practices. This project scope includes: addition of insulation to all exterior walls, replacement of exterior doors and windows, replacement of HVAC ductwork, installation of Energy Star rated HVAC systems, replacement of water heaters with more energy efficient water heaters, additional attic insulation, building envelope sealing, and controlled ventilation as a part of the overall renovation of a 20 unit housing development build in 1963. This project is estimating to save 167,324 kilowatt hours and $13,382 annually. This proposed reduction in energy consumption equates to the following reductions in air emissions: 173 pounds of nitrogen oxides, 548 pounds of sulfur dioxides, and 231,041 pounds of carbon dioxide. |
Wayne | City of Waynesboro | $23,600.00 | The City of Waynesboro owns and operates a surface water treatment plant that draws water from the Green River at mile point 13.78. This project is to upgrade the control of four existing pump motors to allow more uniform pumping into the distribution system due to the large swing in day-to-day demands on the system. The estimated savings for this project is $2,385.60 annually with air quality emission reductions as follows: 23 pounds of nitrogen oxide, 73 pounds of sulfur dioxide, and 30,609 pounds of carbon dioxide. |