Durham Strategic Plan Dashboard
Prosperity
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Complete/Ongoing
Initiative: 5.11 Implement energy efficiency measures in city facilities and operations (CNRE)
Thriving & Vibrant Environment
Description
Reducing energy usage in City facilities is a key pillar of the City’s Carbon Neutrality and Renewable Energy Action Plan. This plan commits the City to achieving 50% carbon neutrality by 2030 and 100% by 2040. The City is engaged in a number of activities to promote energy efficiency, including retrofitting lighting in City buildings to LEDs, upgrading controls, equipment, and operations at City facilities, and expanding building energy management systems.
Key Measures & Data Analysis
Energy Efficiency, measured using Energy Use Intensity (EUI), is a vital means for reducing the City's carbon emissions. EUI has been dropping steadily since 2019 through a combination of strategies, including the installation of more energy efficient equipment (primarily HVAC and LED lighting), making operational changes to introduce system schedules, and optimizing HVAC systems.
The City's aggregate EUI increased from FY24 to FY25, though it remains less than the FY18 baseline. The primary drivers of this increase were from increased operations at Mist Lake and increased usage at the Durham Armory and GoDurham Fay St facility due to equipment issues and a need for recommissioning. These increases were offset slightly by decreases in energy consumption at the Environmental and Street Services North Admin Building (44% decrease) and Police Headquarters (6% decrease).
City Buildings' Energy Usage
Why is it important?
Energy efficiency is a key component of meeting climate goals under the 2021 Carbon Neutrality and Renewable Energy Plan. Energy usage reductions in city facilities and operations also generates material annual cost savings by reducing the City's overall energy use and utility bills. In FY24 and FY25 alone, 3 of our major energy efficiency projects started saving the City approximately $95,000/year at a total cost of just over $3,000. The City can use those funds for other essential services. These measures also support resilience efforts and enable greater percentages of required electrical loads to be supported by solar photovoltaics in the future, and they promote occupant comfort.
What have we been doing?
General Services has advanced energy efficiency projects across City facilities — including LED lighting upgrades and building recommissioning — while supporting major capital projects with energy performance integration.
Key activities include:
• Contracting for FY25 Energy Efficiency LED Lighting Upgrades at City Hall, City Hall Annex, Fire Station 1, DPR Administration, Solid Waste Administration, and Police HQ — with construction starting May 2026 and completion planned for Fall 2027.
• Scoping the FY26 Energy Efficiency CIP for Controls and Recommissioning (Phase 1) to improve building performance across City facilities.
• Providing energy integration support for new facility projects (GS19, GoDurham Paratransit at Junction Road, PWOC) and renovation projects (City Hall, Armory, GoDurham HVAC).
Spotlight: Energy Use Intensity (EUI) is down 18% since FY18, reflecting sustained progress in reducing the City's building energy consumption. In addition, most energy efficiency projects are seeing payback on investment within 1-2 years.
The three projects that saved $95,000 in two years (with savings continuing on an annual basis) are:
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ESS North Administration Building: saving $22,000/year at a cost of $1k in parts
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Police Department HQ: saved approximately $30,000 in FY24 and another $30,000 in FY25, with those savings continuing annually, at a cost of approximately $2,200 for materials and labor.
- City Hall/City Hall Annex: experienced $13,000 savings in FY24 at no out-of-pocket cost to the City; full annual savings have not yet been calculated since energy efficiency work is on-going.
What's next?
Work to advance energy efficiency across City facilities will continue through the following activities:
• LED Lighting Construction – Beginning construction on FY25 LED Lighting upgrades across all contracted sites.
• FY26 Recommissioning – Advancing Phase 1 construction for the Controls and Recommissioning project.
• CIP Support – Continuing energy integration support for new facility and renovation capital projects, including major HVAC upgrades at City Hall and Durham Armory.
• High Performance Building Policy Implementation – the Sustainability and Resiliency Division (SRD) will build knowledge and internal understanding among project management teams of the USGBC's LEED rating system and optimal pathways to achieve LEED Gold for buildings as required by the High-Performance Buildings Policy. SRD will also seek to align the current High Performance Buildings Policy and LEED accreditation procedures with other City directives, including the CNRE, Biophilic Cities initiative, and resilience efforts.
• Duke Pole Light Retrofits – Advancing parking lot pole light retrofits following procurement delays.
• Energy KPI Reporting – Continuing monthly energy performance tracking and reporting.
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