LEAGUE CITY — In an effort to pare down the city’s electricity bills, League City officials plan to use federal stimulus dollars to replace the library’s 37-year-old air-conditioning system.
The 1972 unit in the Helen Hall Library is so obsolete that the manufacturer no longer makes parts for it, Tony Meyer, the city’s maintenance supervisor, said.
“We’re at about the end of the rope in keeping that system running,” Meyer said. “When you can’t guarantee that the unit is going to run week to week, it’s time to do some serious thinking.”
Earlier this year, League City found out it was slated to receive $598,000 in federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funds.
The funds are designed to help cities employ the cheapest, cleanest and most reliable energy technologies as part of President Barack Obama’s plan to reduce fossil fuel emissions, trim energy use, improve energy efficiency and create and retain energy jobs.
League City officials had talked about replacing the library’s air conditioner for the past five years but never found the funding.
The system has been in poor condition for years, Meyer said. Only three of the system’s 23 dampers, the devices that regulate air flow, still are functioning, meaning the air conditioner operates at full capacity even when it doesn’t need to, Meyer said. The inefficiency of the system causes League City to spend more on electricity than it should, he said.
The new system could cost $197,500.
The city plans to use the rest of the stimulus money to buy hybrid vehicles and replace exterior lighting with more energy efficient lighting, such as LED or fluorescent lights. If enough money is left, the city also may install an energy-efficient film to windows at the library and city hall. The film would block heat in the summer and prevent heat from escaping in the winter.
