On Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings, Better Plants Summit in Washington, D.C., the Town of Southampton was presented the prestigious Better Projects Award for the modernizing of the heating and ventilation system (HVAC) in the nearly 100 year old Town Hall at 116 Hampton Road, Southampton NY 11968. Thomas Houghton, Southampton Town Engineer, accepted the award on behalf of the Town.
The project eliminated nearly 210 metric tons of carbon emissions by replacing a fossil fuel based HVAC infrastructure with variable heat pumps eliminating 100% of the fossil fuel use at this 72,000 sq. ft. building. In addition, low flow faucets were introduced resulting is a 90% reduction in water consumption. All lighting fixtures were retrofitted with LED upgrades reducing electricity usage by 16,000 kwh per month, a significant financial savings as well as a stellar example of sustainability best practice. The project, which began under the leadership of former Town Engineer Christine Fetten, took three (3) years to complete and was accomplished without any major interruption to the operations of the Town offices housed within the Hampton Road facility.
The Town submitted its application for this award in January, 2023. In late March, the Town received notification of the award recognition. In that award notification, Mike Powers, Senior Sustainability Consultant for the DOE’s Better Buildings, Better Plants Program cited the project as “a great example for others to follow.” Councilman John Bouvier, who is the Town Board liaison to the Engineering Department which managed the project stated, “This award represents the single most significant sustainability achievement of the Town to date and is a recognition of the professionalism and dedication of the Town’s engineering staff who oversaw the technical aspects of the project and Peter Gaudiello, Facilities Manager, whose staff implemented the complex logistics of providing safe and functional office space throughout the project’s implementation. Thank you.”
Tom Houghton added, “We are proud of this award and are encouraged to pursue similar efforts in the 42 other Town buildings.”
Mr. Houghton presented the Southampton Town Board with a framed award certificate at the Town Board Work Session on April 20.
