McHenry Co. going green with federal cash

With representatives of the U.S. Department of Energy looking on, McHenry County officials outlined their plans Tuesday for how they will spend nearly $2.5 million in federal stimulus money this year building a solar wall on the county courthouse and doing 18 other conservation-minded projects.

The wall, to be installed in the courtyard of the courthouse in Woodstock, will add heat to the building's west wing during the winter and act as an insulator from the sun during the summer, helping contribute to a savings of about $118,000 a year the county expects to reap from the projects.

"Anytime we can put together a project that saves energy, that translates into saving dollars," county board Chairman Ken Koehler said.

Besides the solar wall, the federal funding will pay for the county to install solar panels atop its administration building in Woodstock, install LED lighting in the county jail, replace original windows in the 1970s portion of the courthouse and several smaller efforts.

Much of the work - like window, lighting and boiler replacements - are things the county would have had to do with or without the grant funding, at a cost of up to $1 million, officials said.

"It's a great opportunity for the county to get those items off the books so that money can then be used for other projects," said Becky Werra, account executive with Siemens Building Technologies, which is managing the projects with the county.

Energy savings from the projects, she said, would be the equivalent of preserving about 5.2 acres of forest land or what it takes to power almost 138 cars for an entire year.

Plans unveiled Tuesday also call for installation of a kiosk in the county administration building with a touch-screen computer to educate visitors about the county's conservation initiatives and tips about how to save energy at home.

County Facilities Director John Hadley said work on the projects will begin next month and should be complete within 14 months.