Audit of City of Fort Scott: Future Savings

Brandon Russell, a plant operator, does testing on Fort Scott’s water in the water treatment plant in a file photo.

Last week the City of Fort Scott announced a city-wide infrastructure project to look at energy savings, growth in facilities, building, parks, and downtown redevelopment, through a multi-national company called Schneider Electric.

Swimming lessons at the Fort Scott Aquatic Center in a file photo.

FortScott.Biz contacted the company to get a clearer view of the project.

“Schneider Electric’s team of engineers and construction experts audited every facility, park, and infrastructure owned or operated by the City of Fort Scott, “Brian Puffer, Regional Marketing Manager of
Energy and Sustainability Services for Schneider Electric said.

Puffer’s office is in Franklin, TN but the headquarters are located near Paris, France.

Memorial Hall at Third and National Avenue.

Reducing energy consumption and future operation and capital burdens

“The goal was to identify opportunities to help reduce energy, operational and future capital burdens facing the city,” he said. “Our team worked with city administration to focus the scope of the project on those items that create the biggest impact and will be funded through the reduction of energy and operational expenses.”

The following facilities will be impacted:

Airport
Aquatic Center
Buck Run Community Center
City Hall
Davis Life Station
Animal Shelter
Fire Station #2
Golf Course
Gunn Park
LaRoche Stadium
Memorial Hall
Public Safety (Fire/Police)
Public Works
Water Distribution
Water Production Plant
Wastewater Treatment

The City of Fort Scott’s Public Safety Facility.

“Our team creates detailed energy models based on the current equipment and operational parameters of each facility,” Puffer said. “This allows us to determine what changes and impact a specific scope item (lights, HVAC, envelope, etc.) will have across a specific building or the entire city as a whole.”

Woodland Hills Golf Course, 2414 S. Horton, Fort Scott.

Creating New Revenue

“The goal is to take what was generally viewed as an expense in energy and maintenance costs and redirect those dollars into capital investments,” he said. “So, when referring to a new revenue stream, we are really tapping into what is lost to a utility from an operational expense and reinvesting those dollars into a capital need.”