Sea Girt, NJ - September 15, 2009 - Birdsall Services Group (BSG) is pleased to announce that we have been engaged by The Burlington County Board of Freeholders to develop a master plan that will review the county's energy consumption and focus on cost-saving conservation efforts.
The board approved a $166,900 contract with BSG, which will be paid through a $3 million federal stimulus Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) from the U.S. Department of Energy.
The master plan will inventory all county facilities, measuring the county's carbon footprint to evaluate its impact on the environment and will also prioritize future conservation projects. BSG will evaluate options for buying energy and assist with an energy audit and with the administration of the remaining federal money available from the EECBG Program.
Freeholder Director Joseph Donnelly said having an experienced consultant lead the county's effort will help the board make the most of the federal grant money.
"Our focus will be on energy efficiency and conservation for our buildings, including an evaluation of the potential for solar, combined heat and power projects, geothermal installations, and upgrades to existing (heating and cooling) equipment throughout the county, as well as transportation and recycling initiatives," Donnelly said.
BSG has previously prepared energy master plans for Union and Ocean Counties and is currently developing a similar plan for Bergen County. The energy master plan is critical to a county's efforts to identify inefficient equipment and systems, define strategies for the implementation of renewable energy, evaluate energy procurement strategies, define current greenhouse gas emission levels, and establish a sustainable building program for future construction-related projects. Additionally, the master plan can help a county obtain additional federal and state grant money for energy related projects.