SOUTH DAYTONA — Being designated a “Green Government” hasn’t slowed South Daytona’s “Green Team” from exploring additional ways to enhance its commitment to maintaining an environmentally sustainable community.
The community of 13,000 residents, designated as a Green Local Government Gold Level by the Florida Green Building Coalition, recently installed an energy monitoring system in City Hall.
The Eniscope, by Ekon Energy Management Group of Holly Hill, is a highly technical advanced energy meter that will allow city staff to access comprehensive real time and historical energy-use data in City Hall buildings. The facility monitoring and data logging, part of Ekon's EnergyMaps system, will be in place for two years.
“We are actively pursuing energy saving strategies and low cost solutions,” said Greg Bartholomew, Parks and Recreation Director and leader of the City’s Green Team. “The program is designed to tell us where energy is being wasted and allows us to determine what corrective action is needed.”
Data will be used to analyze peak energy use and identify cost saving solutions to reduce energy consumption, he said. Those solutions could include installing timers or motion sensors on lights, installing energy efficient equipment, power factor optimization, heating and air-conditioning adjustments and changing employee behavior.
One of the goals, Bartholomew said, is to educate employees as to how small changes, such as turning off computers at night, can make a difference in energy usage.
The $13,600 cost of Ekon Group’s EnergyMaps program and comprehensive energy audit is expected to be recouped in energy savings within two years, he said.