Wallsburg considers LED upgrades for town hall after energy audit; interior payback under two years

A vendor-conducted energy audit presented to the Wallsburg Town Council on Jan. 16 found interior LED upgrades at the town hall would produce energy savings with a payback period of less than two years, while exterior lighting upgrades have a longer estimated payback of about nine years.

A representative for LMS (vendor) presented the audit and said the interior work is a strong candidate for immediate replacement. "The payback is less than 2 years," the LMS representative said. The vendor estimated the entire project — interior plus exterior — could average about a five-year payback when combined and noted final costs would require an on-site measurement.

Council members discussed vendor familiarity with the utility rebate process. The LMS representative said the company helps customers apply for rebates and can provide a turnkey solution: the vendor would treat the town's initial site visit as a pre-inspection, complete the work, submit invoices, and then the utility would return a rebate check that the town could use to pay the vendor or retain.

Council members asked whether interior and exterior work would be the same vendor; the representative said LMS would handle both and estimated a total project cost of roughly $11,000 with about $4,000 in rebates expected in the current rebate year. The town did not take a formal vote but placed the item on the agenda for the February meeting for a decision about whether to proceed with interior only, exterior only, or both.

Council members also asked about timing. The vendor said a small interior retrofit could be completed in roughly a week once contracted and scheduled, subject to final site verification.

The council asked staff to include the Wattsmart rebate information and vendor estimate in the February meeting packet and to prepare an action item for formal adoption if members decide to proceed.