Montezuma County, in the far southwestern corner of Colorado, recently received more than $31,000 in rebates from its local co-op and the co-op’s power supplier for upgrading its facilities.
Empire Electric Association, based in Cortez, and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association of Westminster refunded $31,950 the December county commissioner meeting.
The money was a refund of what the county had spent installing an energy-efficient geothermal heating and cooling system. The county drilled 40 wells 400 feet deep beneath the county complex’s parking lot to provide the means to transfer ground heat to two separate buildings in the Montezuma County complex at 109 W. Main Street in Cortez.
Geo-exchange systems provide an even, low-grade temperature control that is easier on the power grid than peaking-type electric resistant heating systems,” explained Doug Sparks, member services manager for Empire Electric. “This is a key reason that cooperatives offer rebates on this type of system.”
Montezuma County received $750,000 in grants from the Department of Local Affairs for the building upgrade which cost a total of $2,185,639.00 and will save an estimated $32,000 annually in energy costs.
I appreciate the assistance Montezuma County received from DOLA and the Governor’s Energy Office," said Ashton Harrison, county administrator. “They were instrumental in providing technical expertise and an ongoing audit to make sure the goals were accomplished.”
Ennovate, an energy services contractor located in Aurora was contracted to complete a full service energy audit and provide performance contracting, facility infrastructure improvements and many other
services to improve the aging facilities.
Upgrades to the circa 1937 buildings included replacing single-pane windows with tinted energy-efficient windows that cut down on drafts and provide a quieter work environment for employees; adding 57 heat pumps to provide heating and cooling that is individualized to each work space; adding an air filtration system to improve the air quality throughout; using programmable thermostats to control the hours of usage; upgrading the lighting fixtures; and providing innovative light sensors in the ceiling that dim the lumen output of the fluorescent lights as the sunlight increases during the daytime.