Sausalito consultant calls for $5.7M in energy upgrades

An analysis estimates the investment in new equipment could save the city $7.5 million in the long run.

Sausalito’s energy consultant is recommending LED lights, new air systems and better windows at City Hall to increase efficiency and lower cost.

The city is looking to modernize utilities such as heating, water ventilation and lighting, making them more efficient and less costly, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Tyler Girtman, regional manager of the consulting firm Climatec, presented recommendations on easy energy updates at the City Council meeting on June 18. The updates add up to $5.7 million in improvement costs, but could save the city $7.5 million in the long run, Girtman said.

“Now more than ever, understanding our climate impact is essential,” Councilmember Melissa Blaustein said. “The city’s energy use is just one way to assess our footprint and take steps to start making changes. The added bonus is the huge cost savings that comes with the types of programs Climatec can help us launch in Sausalito.”

Sausalito hired Climatec in December to conduct a two-phase energy analysis of the city-owned properties and buildings. Girtman said he recommends changing 762 lighting fixtures in city-owned buildings to LED lights. Additionally, the city has many heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems that are past their useful life.

Girtman said the HVAC system in one building on Bridgeway was installed in 1993 and does not work.

“That’s 31 years old,” Girtman said. “The average useful life of HVAC is 15 years old. That’s one of the priority items that we would address as part of this program.”

He said the oldest systems, including the ones at City Hall, should be replaced. He added that the systems should be electrified instead of relying on natural gas and also automated so they are not running when they do not need to be.

Lastly, the windows at City Hall need work, Girtman said. He said he understands the windows have historic and aesthetic value, but they are single paned and inefficient. He said making them double paned could still maintain the look.

“Some of the windows are just stuck open, they are not easy to close,” Girtman said.

The update included a breakdown of the city’s utility costs. From January 2023 to January 2024, the city spent around $442,647 on energy alone. On electricity, the annual cost was $252,410, while water bills added up to $162,382 and natural gas cost $27,855.

City Hall and the library used the most energy, around 30%, while streetlights accounted for 17%. However, Girtman said the lights are all LED already, so the city should focus on the police station, which uses 11% of the energy. Other minimal energy users include fire stations, the Sausalito Center for the Arts and the Ice House building.

The MLK campus — a city-owned property where six buildings are leased to two schools, artists and small businesses — used nearly 20% of the energy.

“That’s where the low-hanging fruit is, is to see savings on those three areas,” Girtman said.

Girtman also suggested new solar panels on City Hall’s roof and in the parking lot. The current system is 20% inefficient, according to Climatec’s analysis. Solar panels could also be installed at the police station and the MLK campus.

Girtman pointed out that there would be around a 5% increase in energy costs every year, and if the city made no changes to buildings or systems, its utility bills would add up to over $31 million over 30 years.

The second phase of the consultant’s work would include recommendations on energy management systems and the implementation of renewable energy technology, if the city decides to proceed.

Identifying grants and other funding to help the city implement any changes is one of Climatec’s objectives. However, Councilmember Janelle Kellman asked for a more detailed funding plan. She noted that Sausalito has not been successful at getting grants in the past.

Climatec hopes to bring an agreement on phase two, a comprehensive program and funding plan, to the City Council in September.