On July 14, Gov. Tom Wolf announced the Commonwealth Financing Authority awarded $10,939,428  million to support 11 clean energy projects in eight counties.

“These programs are an essential tool in helping communities transition their schools and workplaces into more energy efficient operations, helping to save money, reduce their carbon footprint, and support better public health,” said Gov. Wolf. “These projects will have a years-long impact on the Commonwealth and will provide access to cleaner, more efficient energy for thousands of Pennsylvanians.”

Eleven clean energy projects in seven counties were approved through the Alternative and Clean Energy Program, which helps fund activities to promote the utilization, development, and construction of alternative and clean energy projects, infrastructure associated with compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas fueling stations, plus energy efficiency and energy conservation projects in the state.

The program is administered jointly by the Department of Community and Economic Development and the Department of Environmental Protection, under the direction of the CFA.

The approved ACE projects are as follows:

-- Clearfield County: NOVO Health Services, LLC was approved for a $43,000 grant for the purchase and installation of a combined heat and power system at its Paris Healthcare Linen Services facility located in the City of DuBois.

-- Montgomery County: Scale Microgrid Solutions LLC was approved for a $464,000 grant for the purchase and installation of a combined heat and power system at Arkema, Inc.’s headquarters in King of Prussia.

-- Northampton County: Easton Area Joint Sewer Authority was approved for a $1.737 million grant for the construction of a biogas cogeneration system at its wastewater treatment plant located in the City of Easton, Northampton County.

-- Perry County: Perry County Economic Development Corporation was approved for a $1.78 million loan for the purchase and installation of a combined heat and power system at Perry County Innovation Park located in Penn Township.

The approved ACE High Performance Building projects are as follows:

-- Bucks County:

     -- Council Rock School District was approved for an $820,958 grant to renovate 59,860 square feet and construct 3,650 square feet of additions to Hillcrest Elementary School, achieving USGBC LEED Gold certification.

The planned energy saving features include geothermal heating and cooling, energy-efficient lighting, automated energy control systems, low-flow water fixtures, occupancy-based temperature and lighting, an 85 kW solar PV array, and an improved thermal envelope.

The project is anticipated to reduce energy consumption by an estimated 1,251 MMBtu annually, a 24 percent savings. The solar array will generate an additional 110,000 kWh for the elementary school and low-flow water fixtures will reduce water consumption by 30 percent annually.

     -- Council Rock School District was approved for an $820,958 grant to renovate 59,860 square feet and construct 3,650 square feet of additions to Richboro Elementary School, achieving USGBC LEED Gold certification.

The planned energy saving features include geothermal heating and cooling, energy-efficient lighting, automated energy control systems, low-flow water fixtures, occupancy-based temperature and lighting, an 85 kW solar PV array, and an improved thermal envelope.

The project is anticipated to reduce energy consumption by an estimated 1,003 MMBtu annually, a 20 percent savings. The solar array will generate an additional 110,000 kWh for the elementary school and low-flow water fixtures will reduce water consumption by 30 percent annually.

-- Lehigh County: Lehigh Northampton Airport Authority was approved for an $820,958 grant to move its TSA checkpoint to a new location between two existing airport buildings to create a more efficient passenger flow.

The authority will renovate the subterranean connector corridor and construct a new elevated passenger circulation bridge to connect with the ticketing building.

The project includes the installation of high efficiency LED lighting, a variable refrigerant flow cooling system, and energy efficient heating boilers. Window glazing will also be installed for better insulation and solar heat rejection.

The 37,456-square-foot building will reduce the airport’s electricity usage by 96,935 kWh annually, a savings of 17 percent. The building will also reduce annual natural gas consumption by 886 MMBtu, a 60 percent reduction.

The installation of a 168kW solar array will generate an additional 90,000 kWh, and water saving fixtures will reduce water usage by 38 percent. The project will achieve USGBC LEED Gold certification.

-- Philadelphia County:

     -- The School District of Philadelphia was approved for a $651,868 grant to construct a two-story, 16,813-square-foot LEED Gold certified addition to its existing 48,300-square-foot Richmond Elementary School. The project includes LED lighting fixtures and controls upgrades, and the purchase and installation of low-flow plumbing fixtures, sound attenuation materials, water and energy meters, CO2 sensors, and water-bottle filling stations. The energy saving measures are anticipated to save the school district 19,579 kWh annually, a 50 percent savings, and the water and plumbing fixture upgrades will reduce water usage by 35 percent.

     -- The School District of Philadelphia was approved for a $898,076 grant to construct a four-story 28,794-square-foot LEED Gold certified addition its existing 77,000-square-foot Ethan Allen Elementary School.

The project includes LED lighting fixtures and controls upgrades, and the purchase and installation of low-flow plumbing fixtures, sound attenuation materials, water and energy meters, CO2 sensors, and water-bottle filling stations.

The energy saving measures are anticipated to save the school district 39,805 kWh annually, a savings of 59 percent, and the water and plumbing fixture upgrades will reduce water usage by 35 percent.

     -- The School District of Philadelphia was approved for a $800,154 grant to construct a two-story 24,584-square-foot LEED Gold certified addition to its existing 103,799-square-foot Anne Frank Elementary School.

The project includes LED lighting fixtures and controls upgrades, and the purchase and installation of low-flow plumbing fixtures, sound attenuation materials, water and energy meters, CO2 sensors, and water-bottle filling stations.

The energy saving measures are anticipated to save the school district 26,487 kWh annually, a savings of 49 percent, and the water and plumbing fixture upgrades will reduce water usage by 35 percent.

     -- The School District of Philadelphia was approved for a $2 million grant to renovate its existing 58,0000-square-foot Rhawnhurst Elementary School, achieving USGBC LEED Gold certification.

The project involves demolishing 8,100-square-feet, renovating 50,000-square-feet, and constructing a 38,459-square-foot addition, with the final building totaling 88,411-square-feet.

The planned energy saving features include a new high-efficiency HVAC system with radiant heat, LED energy efficient lighting, a thermal envelope that exceeds code requirements, and daylight sensors.

The energy measures are anticipated to save the school district 255,228 kWh annually.

Additionally, low-flow plumbing fixtures and equipment are designed into the building, reducing water usage by 41 percent and saving 353,584 gallons of water annually. The building will also eliminate its use of oil for energy production and will be solely reliant upon natural gas and electricity.

Additionally, a project was approved under the High Performance Building Program, which provides financial assistance in the forms of grants and loan funds to underwrite the cost premiums associated with the design and construction or major renovation of high performance buildings in the state:

-- Lawrence County: New Castle Real Estate, LLC, was approved for a $102,456 grant to develop long-term senior housing facility, New Castle Wellness Center, in New Castle City.

New Castle Real Estate, LLC, will renovate several buildings to be the future site of the New Castle Wellness Center, a long-term senior housing facility with ancillary services including up to 400 beds.

The site consists of three multi-storied buildings and a fourth single story building that total 188,870 sq. ft. The entire former nursing school campus will be converted to LEED Gold certified buildings.

Renovations will include replacing old and inefficient windows, installing an ethylene propylene diene terpolymer roof, efficient dual flush toilets, motion-censored facets, and changing lights to modern, energy-efficient LED’s. Asbestos remediation and selective demolition will be performed as well.

dFor more information on this program, visit the CFA’s Alternative and Clean Energy Program webpage.

Related Articles:

-- Pennsylvania, 14 States, DC Sign MOU To Zero Out Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Trucks By 2050

-- Agenda Added: House Environmental Committee To Hold Hearing July 21 On Proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Program For Power Plants

-- Exelon Foundation Awards First Grants In Climate Change Investment Initiative, Including 5 To Benefit PA; New Applications Being Accepted

-- Northampton Community College Awarded Grant To Help PA Ag Producers, Small Businesses Access Renewable Energy

-- Study In Philadelphia Links Growth In Tree Canopy To Decrease In Human Mortality

[Posted: July 14, 2020]

7/20/2020