City of Wilmington – Anna Chavis – 2011

Goals 

Anna Chavis spent her summer as an EDF Climate Corps fellow in the City of Wilmington in North Carolina, helping the city join the green movement. Finding ways the city could become more energy efficient and sustainable would not only reduce operating costs, but also set an example for other local governments.

Solutions

Chavis analyzed energy use at Wilmington’s six fire stations, its municipal building and fleet management building. Energy saving opportunities at the fire stations included water heater blankets on storage tanks, thermostat controls and replacement of incandescent and T12 lights with CFLs, LEDs, and T8 lights. Replacing existing thermostats with sophisticated energy management systems could reduce annual electricity costs by over $14,000 and save 200,000 kWh a year. Chavis suggested an employee computer directive at the municipal building as part of an overall workplace energy reduction directive. She recommended that the City of Wilmington adopt a formal sustainability policy to educate employees about energy consciousness. Chavis identified energy savings at the fleet management building through the use of strip curtains and rite-hite fans.

Potential Impact

Overall, Chavis’ analysis showed that if the energy efficiency projects are implemented, Wilmington could save 750,000 kWh, save $55,000 in energy costs, and avoid 380 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually.