By BURTON SPEAKMAN
GLASGOW — Barren County is among a number of government entitities applying to receive part of more than $6 million in stimulus funds to improve energy efficiency.
Barren County formally submitted the grant proposal Friday. Kentucky received about $6.5 million through the Department of Energy for block grants, said Nick Cook, project specialist for the Barren River Area Development District, who is putting together Barren County’s application.
The grant would pay for lights to be changed from flourescent bulbs to energy efficienct ones. Also there would be some areas such as hallways and bathrooms where lights are always left on. Those lights would be moved to a motion detection system, Greer said.
The county is currently working on an estimate to determine how much costs would be reduced, she said.
“We have a pretty expansive electric bill,” Greer said.
The county was looking for a way to save money on the lights at the county’s baseball and softball field when the grant was found to potentially update the county adminstative buildng’s lighting, she said.
“We could receive up to $125,000 to change fixtures and lights,” Greer said. “This is not a matching funds grant. It would simply be money for the county.”
The county is looking to be more energy efficienct in all its buidlings, she said. The geothermal heating that is planned for the new jail is estimated to save $10,000 per year.
Return on investment if Glasgow receives the grant is estimated to be 20 percent, Cook said.
The switch changes, which would also reduce the building’s heating and cooling sytem would save an estimated 15 percent, while the lighting alterations could save the county $9,000 per year, he said.
“Most of the applications I’ve been doing have been for retrofitting of courthouses and county buildings,” Cook said.
Typically they involved windows, lightings and HVAC systems, he said. The energy department grants have all been financed through stimulus dollars.
“Anything that could save the county money is worth a try,” Greer said. “I’m trying to do everything I can to save this county money.”
It’s unknown when the county would learn if it had received the grant, she said.
Cook said his estimate was that it would be at least the spring before it was known what areas had received grant money.
