City of Bowie hears energy audit recommending roughly $4.3 million of upgrades to meet Maryland BEPS
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Summary
Consultants presented ASHRAE Level 2 energy audits for City Hall and Ken Hill Center estimating about $2.5 million and $1.8 million in measures respectively, described electrification steps to meet Maryland’s BEPS timeline and warned of alternative compliance fees beginning with 2030 data.
City staff and consultants told the Bowie City Council on Nov. 17 that two municipal buildings — City Hall and the Ken Hill Center — will likely require a multi-million-dollar program of energy conservation measures to comply with state Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) set by the Maryland Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022.
Lexi Willem, the city’s sustainability planner, introduced Lawing Consulting Engineers’ ASHRAE Level 2 audits of the two buildings; Brian Walker, a Lawing Engineers principal, said the audits provide a data-driven roadmap and compared current energy use to required net direct emissions and site energy use intensity targets under BEPS. “The goal of the audits is to provide decision makers with a reliable, data driven foundation to evaluate high cost energy saving projects and ensure compliance with BEPS regulations,” Walker said.
The consultants estimated roughly $2.5 million in capital costs for the recommended energy conservation measures (ECMs) at City Hall and about $1.8 million at Ken Hill Center. The measures include lighting retrofits (LEDs where not already installed), HVAC control optimization, and replacement of natural-gas heating equipment with heat pumps to reduce on-site fossil-fuel combustion. Consultants presented an estimated combined energy-use reduction of about 50% at both facilities if all recommended measures are implemented and noted that penalties for missing the net direct emissions standard could begin with calendar year 2030 data, with early-year penalties estimated in the tens of thousands of dollars.
Councilmembers pressed on payback periods and the lifecycle of recently replaced rooftop units; consultants acknowledged long payback estimates for some measures and said jurisdictions will likely face choices between paying penalties and replacing equipment earlier than planned. Several members suggested pursuing “low-hanging fruit” first and coordinating with Prince George’s County and state representatives on phased or alternative compliance options. Staff indicated the finance assistant director will work to fold the options into the forthcoming budget process and present findings to council in April.
Next steps: staff to evaluate prioritized ECMs, include options in the budget process and pursue county/state coordination on compliance timelines and potential relief or phased approaches.
