Energy project to benefit Wayne County buildings

By TOM KANE

HONESDALE, PA — The Honeywell Company will totally revamp Wayne County buildings’ energy systems and guarantee that the program will pay for itself in 15 years. If not, Honeywell will reimburse the county for the $1,466,685 cost.

“We will realize savings of about $100,000 annually,” said Anthony Herzog, Chairman of the Wayne County Commissioners.

Technicians from the company are already conducting an energy survey of seven county buildings’ electrical devices, including lighting, air conditioning, heating, switching systems and telephones. The next step will be to upgrade inefficient equipment, Herzog said.

The building surveyed included the court house, the Dimmick Building, the recycling center, the county’s group home, the court house annex, the Aging Office and the Park Street Complex. The prison, the sheriff’s office and the Foster Building on Church Street were not included.

Honeywell will be the principal contractor and will subcontract many aspects of the work, Herzog said.

The money for the project will come from the county’s general fund.

“A project like this makes sense when you realize the rising cost of energy and the fact that these costs will continue going up,” said Peter Salmon of Honeywell. “This is a way that the county can find capital dollars without raising taxes.”

The Park Street complex, the former Sturbridge Elementary School, will get a new roof out of the project, Salmon said.

The project will take six months to complete, Herzog said.