Richmond Community College has been awarded $178,000 in grants to pay for improvements that should allow it to cut its energy use by 15 percent a year.

A state stimulus grant of $157,000 was approved this week. Progress Energy will contribute the remaining $21,000.

The grant will allow the purchase and installation of four Alterton DDC systems for the Lee, Lindsey-Petris, Condor and James buildings on RCC’s Hamlet campus.

“Our Director of Facilities Services Glenn Sims prepared a Comprehensive Strategic Energy Plan a couple of years ago, which was a requirement to earn this award,” RCC President Dr. Dale McInnis said Thursday. “This project builds on our previous efforts and long-term goal of cutting down on the use of electricity, gas and water.”

According to the Iowa Energy Center, DDC systems improve system effectiveness and energy efficiency.

Sims said the college expects to cut down energy use between 15 and 18 percent with the systems. They link all functions of the HVAC systems so they can be controlled remotely by computer.

“The low-end estimate Progress Energy gave us predicted we would get about $21,000 in annual savings,” Sims explained. “These systems will also help us to maintain a more comfortable environment, while cutting down on time and manpower because instead of having to go and physically change a thermostat we can change them all from one location.”

McInnis said the college spends between $230,000 and $240,000 a year on energy for both the Hamlet and Scotland County campuses. The money comes from county taxpayers, not the state.

“By state statute, we can’t use any state funds to pay for the operation or maintenance of our facilities,” he explained. “So, this money is provided through our partnerships with the Richmond County Board of Commissioners and the Scotland County Board of Commissioners. These devices will help to reduce that amount.”

However, McInnis said that because energy rates are expected to increase in the future, the college is focusing on cutting down on usage rather than attaching a dollar amount to the savings.

There is approximately $13.5 million available to counties, municipalities, community colleges and public schools through the state’s stimulus-funded Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, according to a release from the governor’s office.

Gov. Beverly Perdue touted the program as a way to create jobs and cut down on energy usage as she announced the second round of grants Wednesday.

“These recovery dollars will create new jobs while helping communities and taxpayers save on their energy bills,” she said. “This program is another excellent example of how local, state and federal agencies are collaborating to create green jobs in North Carolina.”

Wednesday’s grant announcement included more than $750,000 to six agencies.

The grants will pay for lighting systems in Henderson County, the Town of Dallas, Iredell-Statesville Schools and Roanoke Rapids Schools, as well as the installation of DDC systems at RCC and the Rowan-Salisbury Schools.

The first round of grants went out in January. To date the program has awarded about $1.5 million to 12 agencies.

“Additional grant announcements are expected to be announced in the coming weeks as funding applications are reviewed and acted on,” the governor’s office said.

McInnis said the grant requires the money be used to maintain or create jobs in the communities that receive the money, so the college will be working with area contractors through the bidding process.

“That is going to take some time, though, because we’re kind of in uncharted territory,” McInnis said. “We’ll have to receive training to ensure we are working in compliance with both state and federal regulations, but the project will be advertised and will go through a public bidding process.”

McInnis said RCC is working to expand sustainability concepts on its campus and in its classrooms.

“We do have a Sustainability Committee on campus,” he said. “Both Glenn Sims and (Mechanical Engineering Technology Professor) Randy Henson are very active with that group, and they are working on ways to both conserve resources, and take the sustainable concepts and ideas and build them into our curriculum programs.”

Earlier in the week, the RCC Board of Trustees met and discussed ways to implement a strategic plan developed a year ago, with one aim being to expand programs and courses in the areas of industrial, engineering, construction and transportation technologies.

At the meeting, Director of Engineering and Industrial Technology Amir Niczad presented the college trustees with recommendations to implement programs in electrical power production technology and sustainability technology.

The board discussed funding sources and possible partnerships with industries.

Staff Writer Philip D. Brown can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 32, or by e-mail at pbrown@yourdailyjournal.com.