Laurel Boys and Girls Club Plugs into Energy Saving Program
Thursday, September 18th, 2008To view Laurel Boys and Girls Club progress in saving energy, click here on “Energy Maps”
by Timmy Gelles | Staff Writer
(Reprinted with permission of The Laurel Gazette)
In an effort to reduce a skyrocketing utility bill, the Laurel Boys and Girls Club is teaming up with Maryland Green Power Company, which will donate energy-saving equipment pro-bono.
Patrick Reed, LBGC executive director, said the club spends about $90,000 each year on heating and electricity, a price that has increased 30 percent during the past couple of years. With rising fuel prices, he said this year’s bill will top $120,000.
“The energy cost has never really been this high,” Reed said.
Much of the high cost is due to the age of the LBGC building and the condition of its insulation and windows. The LBGC building was built in 1899, some renovations were done in 1935 and 1950 but the original windows remain.
Vanessa van der Have, the club’s under-age 6 soccer team coach, said she wanted to find an affordable long-term solution to the soaring costs and contacted Maryland Green Power, who offered to help the club pro-bono.
“The energy bill is preposterous,” said Dennis Meizys, owner of the Columbia-based Maryland Green Power.
Meizys said that the LBGC is the first pro-bono contract his company has ever done.
“It was perfect site because they have very high energy usage,” Meizys said. “And they’re a social work group, so they should spend their money on other things besides electricity.”
Meizys said Maryland Green Power has donated more than $7,000 of equipment, including the EnergyMaps system which allows LBGC to remotely monitor its energy usage. EnergyMaps analyses the data and allows each staff member to view it in real time, whereby they can see their effects on the overall consumption.
Meizys said EnergyMaps is probably the most effective way to cut down energy usage.
In six months, with all the data logged and examined, Meizys said he will meet with the LBGC and look at things that require small to medium investments. He said some options include a new lighting system in the gymnasium and adding water cooling capabilities that should save the club 30 percent on air conditioning costs.
The club is also taking steps on its end. Reed said he and club officials are educating each of the 18 programs on how to be more energy conscience, such as turning off lights when not in use.
He said the club is working on receiving a government loan to acquire new windows or repair the existing windows. Reed said he is expecting a report within a couple weeks on whether the windows are even repairable.
Reed said the rise in prices has cut into LBGC programs. Each year the club normally offers 400 partial or full waivers for families who cannot afford the $75 program fee. This year, the club can only provide 200 waivers to its 3,500 youth participants.
With winter on the horizon, the rising oil prices will also add to the bill. Reed said the boiler usually costs about $12,000 a month during the winter. This year he projects the cost will rise up to $17,000 per month.
The future of the club’s finances looks optimistic. Reed said that within 18 months, the LBGC should start reducing its energy by 40 percent. Meizys said the amount of money the LBGC will save will be larger than the amount they currently pay.
“I think it’s a win-win for both because [Meizys] aligned himself with the largest club in Maryland,” van der Have said. “And for the club, the more support they can get from the outside — from the private sector, the parents, the volunteers — the better.”
E-mail Timmy Gelles at tgelles@gazette.net.
