Ypsilanti’s Department of Public Services is beginning a three-year project aimed at reducing energy usage in city buildings.

The money for an energy and conservation efficiency revolving fund was set aside when City Council was developing its 2009-10 budget. An initial $250,000 was provided to begin making improvements, and the savings from the upgrades will go back into the account to pay for improvements in the following years.

City officials say they aren't able to provide an estimate on what the effort will save the city in the long run. 

Council Member Pete Murdock, who proposed the fund, said the city has a baseline energy level in each of its buildings from which it can measure energy saved.

But because energy rates will likely rise in the coming years as savings are realized, it's difficult to determine how much will be saved monetarily. The city could be paying the same amount for energy, but that wouldn't factor in any rate increases, Murdock said.

The first phase includes changing the type of light bulbs in the police station, fire department and city hall from a T-12 fluorescent bulb to T-8 fluorescent bulbs, which use less wattage and are generally more efficient.

“Lighting is pretty much the low hanging fruit and where you get the biggest bang for your buck, so that’s what we’re going for first,” Department of Public Services Director Stan Kirton said. “We should see a significant drop in energy use by switching from the T-12s to T-8s.”

The fire department will also receive new windows this year.

The next phase will bring a new boiler, HVAC upgrades and motion switches to city hall. The police and fire departments will also have motion switches installed. The T-12 lights in the other city buildings will be replaced by T-8 lights in the project’s third year, while the police department will receive HVAC upgrades.

The City Council approved the three-year plan at its July 20 meeting. Kirton said the department is seeking bids and will begin the replacements as soon as possible.

The city applied for an energy efficiency grant in the hopes of adding to the initial funds, but didn’t receive it, Murdock said. A report provided to the city by Honeywell five years ago laid out how the city could invest several million in energy reduction improvements and receive the money back through reduced costs. 

Murdock said the city then opted to implement some of the easier and cheaper ideas, such as addressing lighting and replacing the notoriously lousy heating system in city hall.

Tom Perkins is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.