The nearly century old Butler County Courthouse is going green with upgrades that could reduce some lighting expenses by nearly 80 percent.
LED lights will be installed throughout the courthouse, the Butler County Justice Center and the Butler County highway shed.
A low bid for the project of $50,300 was received from Summit Electrical Contracting of Poplar Bluff, which has started work on the courthouse.
An energy savings report completed by Hi Tech Communications found the switch will reduce kilowatt hour usage to less than 36,000 per year at the courthouse, from more than 154,000.
The justice center will see slightly less savings, at 71 percent. The jail and sheriff's department are expected to drop from just over 689,000 kilowatt hours per year to approximately 202,000.
The highway shed will see savings of 52 percent, dropping to kilowatt hours usage of almost 12,100.
Presiding commissioner Vince Lampe has been told the county should see a corresponding savings in electric expenses.
The county was fortunate LED light costs have dropped significantly since it first began discussing this project, said western district commissioner Boots LeGrand.
The county was initially approved for a low interest loan of $157,300 from the Missouri Department of Economic Development approximately 18 months ago.
Project costs will be about one-third of the original estimate and commissioners are now deciding whether or not to proceed with the loan or use cash reserves for the project.
The loan would include an interest rate of 2.75 percent, and fees of 1 percent of the principal amount.
Loan payments would be made with savings from the reduced energy costs over 3.5 years, Lampe said.
Summit Electrical Contracting will coordinate with the county to schedule work at the justice center and highway shed.
The project also includes replacement of the ballasts in each light fixture. The ballast regulates the current in the fixture.
The county began looking at this project because changes in federal laws phase out the fluorescent lights they were using.