Energy efficiency efforts at city hall are paying off, Public Works Director Larry Chalker announced.

In a memo to department heads and city council, Chalker said, “I am proud to report on our success in energy savings at city hall.”

The process began two years ago, Chalker noted. “Our goal was to replace all the kite lights due to the massive amount of energy it takes for each one. Also, the cost of the lamps for these fixtures is very high.”

Kite lights are 1980s era fixtures that resemble box kites and easily become hot to the touch.

The project meant changing lights and even adding extra lighting in some areas that have been dark since the city moved into the building, which was the former headquarters for then North Carolina Power and also served as a department store.

The kilowatt-hours saved show 44,000 and an estimated dollar savings of $3,550 through September.

Since the measures were put in place, total kilowatt-hours went from 211,680 in the previous year to 167,680 in the current for a period from May to September.

That equals about $8,000 a year in savings in a project that was funded out of the public works budget. “The entire project thus far has completely paid for itself,” Chalker noted in the memo.

Chalker credited Doug Love and the city’s property maintenance staff for getting behind the project and its diligence in what he described as slow but successful work. “It is important to note that property maintenance had already begun their work when we performed an energy audit last year.”

The work is not over, Chalker said. “Their work continues and will until the last inefficient fixture or device has been upgraded at city hall.”

One of the things that will be worked on next is putting motion lights in the weight room, which turn on when officers come down to work out and go off after 10 minutes of inactivity.

The public works department, which has initiated energy saving measures in its own building, is also willing to do the same studies and assessments for other departments not located in city hall, Chalker said.