Lighting and cooling the 68,000 square-foot YMCA building in Southwest Kansas is no small feat. Pair that with aging equipment and budget constraints and the situation becomes even more daunting. The massive facility welcomes nearly 30,000 from the public every year to participate in over 19,000 programs, and in just a month, the YMCA was consuming 11,208 kWh. Considering the replacement of inefficient lightbulbs alone was a seemingly endless task costing thousands of dollars, the YMCA needed a way to boost energy efficiency in their building.
Seeking Greater Efficiency and Energy Savings
Following a facility assessment, Budderfly was able to suggest technology upgrades to lighting and HVAC that would help lower energy usage. The money saved on energy could then be rolled into new LED lighting and HVAC upgrades with no out-of-pocket expense for the YMCA. From there, Budderfly then drafted a three-week installation plan and hired/negotiated pricing with the YMCA’s preferred vendors.
“It was a no-brainer for my committee because we had nothing to lose,” says Chad Knight, CEO, YMCA, Southwest Kansas. “Budderfly came up with the capital investment, it was just a huge benefit to have the money put upfront for us to make a difference in our facility, make a difference for our members, and most importantly—get the energy savings on the HVAC equipment so it was not running at full capacity all the time.”
Delivering Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS)
As part of the EaaS plan, Budderfly leapt into action, upgrading the lighting fixtures through the racquetball courts, pool area, fitness centers, basketball court and gymnastics area to more efficient LED bulbs.
A complete audit of the HVAC units followed. NexRev Variable Frequency Drives were installed on six units, which make constant small adjustments to setting to control power and temperature with maximized performance and efficiency. HVAC Chips were also installed in seven units to maximize performance and extend the unit’s lifecycle.
The installation was quick with zero disruption to YMCA programs. What could have been done in “10 to 12 years” based on YMC budgetary constraints according to Knight, Budderfly did in three weeks.
Tracking the Energy Impact
Budderfly provided 100% of the capital, equipment and installation to transform the YMCA for energy efficiency. As soon as the contract was signed, the company assumed responsibility for YMCA’s electric and gas payments, delivering them to the facility as a simple, consolidated monthly bill that contrasts their original usage numbers.
Over time, the increased energy efficiency as projected by Budderfly will result in significant monetary savings on top of the environmental impact for reduced usage. Savings will then be passed on to the YMCA, lowering the costs of operating the center even more, and allowing those savings to be passed on to the community or more upgrades.
“It’s all about the members and keeping them happy. Happy members translate to a happy life for the YMCA and these are the folks that really benefit from it all,” Knight says.
Another version of this article previously appeared on My Tech Decisions.
