Colleges use stimulus funds to improve energy efficiency

FLORENCE — Francis Marion University, Florence-Darlington Technical College and Northeastern Technical College received more than $500,000 in federal stimulus aid to make energy efficiency improvements in their facilities. The colleges expect to save a combined $170,000 per year in utility costs.

“This federal aid allows us to do these upgrades that, because of the economic downturn, we weren’t able to budget for,” Florence-Darlington Tech President Dr. Charles Gould said.

The $168,734 Florence-Darlington Tech received will help them upgrade lighting fixtures and install heating and air conditioning management systems in six on-campus buildings and locations in Hartsville and Lake City that are about 50 years old, Gould said.

FMU will use its $270,380 to update four heating and cooling units to more efficient models in Smith University Center Gymnasium, said Angela Crosland, the university’s news editor/writer.

“The air handling units we have are the original ones placed in the gym in the 1970s,” Crosland said.

The university also will use the funds to make upgrades to its chiller plant.

Northeastern Tech received $73,250 to install energy management systems for lighting and heating and cooling systems campus-wide.

Each college had to complete an application process by determining their needs and laying out their plans for the funds. The federal aid was then allocated to the colleges by the S.C. Budget and Control Board’s State Energy Office.

“All three of these institutions are able to use this stimulus award to make vast improvements at their campuses,” John Clark, director of the South Carolina Energy Office, said in a press release. “As a result of these far-reaching efforts, taxpayers will save a significant amount as a result of better energy efficiency.”

Statewide, public colleges and universities received a total of $12.2 million.

The state’s 85 school districts are sharing $20.3 million in grants and loans for energy efficiency.