Cranbury hopefuls discuss Energy Audit

[Cranbury Press]

Cranbury hopefuls discuss Energy Audit
Thursday, October 9, 2008 3:22 PM EDT
By Maria Prato-Gaines, Staff Writer

http://www.packetonline.com/articles/2008/10/09/cranbury_press/news/doc48ee597c131d4584921003.txt

CRANBURY — Candidates for Township Committee praised local efforts to conduct an energy audit and expressed their interest in meeting goals outlined by the study while keeping costs at bay for taxpayers.

The energy audit was conducted by the Metro Energy Solutions in July 2007.The company inspected several of the township’s facilities and municipal buildings to assess energy use and the costs and savings resulting from possible upgrades.

Democrat John Ritter and Republican Win Cody are vying for one, three-year seat up for grabs.

Mr. Ritter said he supports the order in which township officials have prioritized improvements suggested by the audit.

The first improvements to be done include replacing the firehouse’s doors with 2-inch thick steel doors equipped with thermal breaks and new seals, and upgrading the facility’s heating system at an estimated cost of $87,520 and an annual savings of $3,747 in energy costs.
The township should continue to seek out grants for any future improvements, like the $100,000 sustainability grant it’s using to fund the firehouse improvements. Money left over from the grant will be put toward heating and cooling upgrades in the Public Works building.

”I think the things they are working on in sequence, is probably the right order,” Mr. Ritter said. “The goal is to contain costs because energy costs are going up. Since some (improvements) are expensive and everybody is worried about taxes you would want to pay for it with grants.”

Mr. Ritter said fuel usage is a major expense that the township needs to examine, especially since heating oil and gasoline prices have increased.

”They buy gas at volume to keep the cost down,” he said. “Going forward we don’t want a fleet of (sport utility vehicles) but something more fuel efficient. With the current gas prices (hybrids) may pay for themselves, where they might not have in the past.”

Mr. Ritter said he would encourage the school to conduct an energy audit of its own.

”It certainly would make sense for the school to do an energy audit,” he said. “Energy is a kind of savings you really want a school to make.”

Mr. Ritter said that by including residents in the sustainability/alternative energy workgroup, the township has found a great way to tackle issues and find solutions for energy conservation.

”I think this is a good example of how we should do things in the future — create a subcommittee of people in the community with expertise,” he said.

Although Mr. Cody said the township took the right step in conducting the audit, he disagrees with the way township officials have prioritized the projects.

”I am happy we got the $100,000 grant and would like to apply (it) to projects which would give the most benefit,” Mr. Cody said. “The (Cranbury Press) article states the study showed an annual cost savings of $145,563 if we did all 25 projects costing $664,257. According to the article, we have chosen two projects that will cost $87,520 for an annual savings of $3,747.”

Mr. Cody said it could take 23.4 years for the firehouse project to “pay for itself” with the savings in energy costs.

”We are choosing not to do $576,737 worth of projects with a payback of $141,816 which pays itself back over 4.1 years,” Mr. Cody said. “This is a vast difference. I don’t know the details of the other 23 projects but based on the figures, there should be some more cost effective projects to implement.”

Mr. Cody said he supported the Township Committee creating a workgroup to look at energy issues and as a hybrid owner himself, would encourage the township to look into that type of investment.
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[Guest]

My impression is that Mr. Ritter is mostly in agreement with the TC's decisions, while Mr. Cody is more conscious about the effectiveness of the cost savings.

[Guest]

When I looked at a hybrid all the research I did said that city driving like in Cranbury,short distance stop and go, and the driving I did would not have an effect on gas consumption. That was a year or so ago. So why should the town spend more money on hybrid vehicles if the employees are not doing city driving. Seems to me that is just a case of PR to say Cranbury has hybrid vehicles and I think that was why the TC did not pursue it for the fire offical as well.

I agree, every Press article Mr. Ritter states the TC is doing well and he's in agreement. I wish he would post here and offer more insight. Perhaps the Press is simply misuing his statements? I live in the village and Mr. Ritter has not yet come to my home or neighbors.

[Guest]

Does anyone know where we can get a copy of the audit? It seems if the numbers hold true that Win is right and there would be more cost effective measures that can be taken. In that case I am concerned about the decision process. I don't know if it's a case of doing what fits the grant so the other measures are more expensive and thus there is no money available for the bigger items. It would be good to see the numbers. I just don't know enough about the projects to make a determination either way.

[Cranbury Conservative]

Maybe the Audit should be posted on the Township Website?

[Guest74]

I agree, the entire audit should be posted or easy to access. Why is it that there where 25 projects proposed and only a couple were openly discussed. The whole energy audit should be posted.