Facing the challenge of aging fire department facilities, Hamilton Township officials invested in new, energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment with help from New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program.

T8 and LED screw-in lighting; high-efficiency HVAC units and gas-fired boiler; occupancy sensors, economizers, programmable thermostats, and faucet aerators

Township prioritizes public safety with energy efficient improvements at Mercerville Firehouse

Background

Hamilton Township in Mercer County, New Jersey is among the safest communities in the nation, ranked in the top 5 percent of the annual City Crime Rankings report.

To maintain their high ranking, Hamilton officials provide their police and fire officials with the resources and training they need to stay sharp and responsive. That’s why, when Mercerville Firehouse in Hamilton Fire District #2 reported that training operations were frequently interrupted due to a failing heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, township officials quickly took action.

The firehouse’s boiler, installed in the early 1980s, would regularly break down. In addition, poor lighting in the engine bay would often force the district’s units to hold group trainings outdoors. Township officials knew changes were needed and considered building an entirely new firehouse. While researching options, officials instead decided to leverage the financial incentives provided by New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program™ (NJCEP) to replace the outdated equipment with new, energy-efficient equipment.

The Direct Install program gave us the financial support we needed to replace our outdated equipment and create a more energy-efficient, environmentally friendly firehouse.

Thomas Gribbin
Chief of Department
Hamilton Township                            
Joint Fire Districts 2, 3, 4 & 7

Hamilton Township
Fire District #2
2711 Nottingham Way
Mercerville, NJ 08619

Solution

The NJCEP Direct Install program offers a free energy assessment and incentives that cover up to 70 percent of the cost to upgrade equipment for small to mid-sized businesses and local governments. Direct Install is a turnkey solution that makes it easy and affordable to upgrade to high-efficiency equipment.

Tri-State Light & Energy, Inc., a participating NJCEP contractor, assessed the firehouse facilities and determined that more than $125,000 in new equipment was needed. Mercerville Firehouse subsequently installed new energy-efficient light fixtures in the engine bay and common areas, seven new air-conditioning units and a new gas-fired boiler, as well as occupancy sensors to reduce electricity needs when rooms are not in use.

“The Direct Install program gave us the financial support we needed to replace our outdated equipment and create a more energy-efficient, environmentally friendly firehouse,” said Hamilton Fire Chief Thomas Gribbin. “The new equipment will make the firehouse more cost effective and improve its functionality.“

NJCEP incentives reduced the project costs from $125,664 down to $37,699. In addition, Tri-State Light & Energy anticipates the project will save Hamilton Township $12,961 in annual energy costs (95,292 kWh and 3,236 therms per year), leading the project to pay for itself in less than three years.

“We are using the Direct Install program to update four firehouses in Hamilton - Stations 12, 13, 14 and plans for Station 17 - with an estimated cost of more than $440,000. This program is the only way that we could accomplish this scope of work without heavily affecting property taxes,” Gribbin added.

New equipment at the Mercerville Firehouse is the latest example of Hamilton officials making smart investments in energy efficiency through the NJCEP Direct Install program. Hamilton Township’s municipal building, health department and fire departments have received over $140,000 in Direct Install incentives since 2010.

These projects combined have saved Hamilton taxpayers more than $18,000 in electricity and gas costs per year. The Hamilton Township School District has also participated in Direct Install and other NJCEP programs, receiving $166,706 in total incentives.