(CANTON, Georgia, September 29, 2023)—The City of Canton is excited to announce a strategic sustainability and historic preservation program with the help of Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and sustainability driven infrastructure projects. This project will seek to advance the City of Canton’s Roadmap for Success with a specific focus on the tenet, “Sustaining Our Natural Environment.”

With the help of Schneider Electric, the City will make its facilities more energy efficient, add more solar energy to the City’s renewable energy portfolio, and achieve certification for the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) Green Communities Program. It will also address critical infrastructure needs in two of the City’s most historic buildings: City Hall (established in 1924) and Public Safety/Municipal Court (established in 1925), ensuring that these buildings will continue to serve the City’s needs while maintaining the historic integrity of Downtown Canton.

Over several months, Schneider Electric completed a comprehensive analysis of the City’s energy usage, conducted detailed site audits across the City’s facilities and crafted solutions that aligned with the goals above. The solutions include:

• City Hall Renovation: mechanical renovation of obsolete HVAC system to improve indoor air quality, staff comfort and energy efficiency; replacement of 25-year-old roof 

• Public Safety Complex Renovation: total HVAC system overhaul to decrease costly maintenance and provide individual zones ensuring comfort for all public safety staff 

• City Hall Rooftop Solar Array: when combined with the existing solar-covered parking, this 70kw DC array will result in days when City Hall is 100% solar-powered. 

• Community Education and Engagement: demonstration solar installations at City parks to educate citizens on the importance of green energy; development of a sustainability roadmap for future sustainability goals; interactive kiosk at City Hall to share educational resources with the community. 

• Operational Enablement: City-wide building automation system to streamline operations and save energy; telecommunications solutions to reduce City expenditure by 64%; audit of City-owned streetlights to streamline maintenance and evaluate future lighting project opportunities. 

The recommended improvements and strategies will reduce the City of Canton’s utility and operational costs by 28% and generate lifecycle savings of $2 million over the life of the program. These savings will help offset the City’s investment in this program, stretching taxpayer dollars further while leading to streamlined operations, stronger financial stability, and strategic sustainability advancement.

“The City of Canton has a long history with adaptively reusing historic facilities for public purposes," explained Billy Peppers, City Manager. "As we continue our operations in these structures, we look for opportunities to introduce green infrastructure that improves building operations. We are excited about the opportunity to utilize one-time capital funding through sales tax revenues to offset annual operational costs carried by our general fund."

Construction will begin this summer with completion expected early 2025. For more

information and to follow along with the project progress, visit the City’s website at www.cantonga.gov.

Photo Caption: Work begins at Canton City Hall on the mechanical renovation of the obsolete HVAC system and replacement of 25-year-old roof.