Buffalo Sewer Authority completes Bird Island energy efficiency survey

Buffalo, NY The Buffalo Sewer Authority (BSA) has completed an extensive energy efficiency survey and resulting equipment upgrades at its Bird Island wastewater treatment facility that will reduce both operating costs and the plant’s environmental footprint. Advanced lighting and lighting controls were installed throughout the facility and earned efficiency incentives of more than $400,000 through National Grid’s Energy Efficiency program. The survey was done in conjunction with Wendel, a design and construction firm.

The new LED light fixture installments are projected to reduce the Bird Island’s electricity consumption by more than 3 million kilowatt-hours, and reduce the BSA’s energy bill by about $277,000 annually. The energy use reduction is the equivalent of nearly 3.4 million pounds of carbon dioxide being removed from the environment.

The BSA worked with Wendel on a facility-wide survey of energy conservation measures, which included recommendations to install LED lighting and controls. National Grid financially assisted with the installation of the lighting systems. The budget for the total project was just over $1 million. When the $403,000 incentive is factored into the yearly savings, the project will pay for itself about three years.

“Our energy efficiency grants and incentives are intended to help organizations move forward with improvements that help both the environment and the bottom line,” said Ken Kujawa, regional manager for National Grid in Buffalo. “The Bird Island project is among the largest we’ve done in this region, and the quick return on the investment shows that efficiency projects can pay both financial and environmental dividends over the long term.”

“Wendel is a company that always puts the best interest of the client first. Throughout the course of this project, what the Wendel team recommended will now allow the BSA to make investments in other much needed improvements,” said Stewart C. Haney, Wendel President/CEO. “Through our collaboration with National Grid, we were able to provide BSA significant energy cost savings.”

Wendel is a nationally recognized design and construction firm providing services to clients across the country, including architecture; interior design; civil, electrical, energy efficiency, environmental, mechanical, municipal, structural, and transportation engineering; construction management; energy management; alternative fuels; commissioning; GIS; landscape architecture; land-use planning; and survey. The firm is headquartered in Buffalo, NY with offices in New York Metro; Rochester, NY; Syracuse, NY; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Richmond, VA; Clarksburg, WV; and Washington, DC areas.