Historic Building Renovation Saves Energy and Receives BPA Incentive Payment

The John Gumm building in St. Helens, Oregon, has been renovated into a community hub with the help of the Bonneville Power Administration's Commercial Energy Efficiency program. The historic landmark, originally a schoolhouse built in 1919, has undergone significant energy-saving upgrades, including high-performance windows, insulation, heat recovery, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system upgrades. Through this collaboration, Columbia County and Columbia River People's Utility District have successfully identified and implemented energy efficiency measures, achieving nearly 291,000 kWh of annual energy savings.

Key Takeaways:

• CRPUD received a $96,410 incentive payment from the Bonneville Power Administration for implemented energy savings throughout the John Gumm building renovation.
• The Bonneville Power Administration's Commercial Energy Efficiency program supported the renovation, utilizing expertise to guide the building renovation team down an energy-efficient path.
• BPA's Energy Efficiency and Engineering Services workgroups help regional utilities like CRPUD identify cost-effective energy savings to maximize the value of the Federal Columbia River Power System.
• The John Gumm building renovation included upgrades such as high-performance windows, insulation, heat recovery, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system upgrades, resulting in nearly 291,000 kWh of annual energy savings.
• BPA helps utilities plan and implement projects with its Energy Efficiency Implementation Manual as a guideline.
• CRPUD Distribution Engineer Mike Arend noted that historic buildings have many obstacles when it comes to renovation and energy efficiency, making the BPA's energy modeling crucial in calculating estimated incentives and savings on future electric bills.

Statistics:

• The John Gumm building renovation achieved nearly 291,000 kWh of annual energy savings.
• The upgrades included high-performance windows with a 40-year measure life, resulting in an incentive payment of 38-40 cents per kilowatt hour.
• The renovation included a 3D energy simulation model, developed by BPA Mechanical Engineer Craig Volz, to create a baseline of the building's energy usage prior to proposed upgrades.
• The upgrade lifespan factors into the calculated energy savings, with measures like HVAC having a lower incentive payment due to their shorter measure life.

Sources:

• "Bonneville Power Administration" press release, April 2023.
• BPA Energy Efficiency Implementation Manual (no date provided).
• Interview with CRPUD Distribution Engineer Mike Arend (exact quote provided in the text).
• Interview with BPA Mechanical Engineer Craig Volz (exact quotes provided in the text).