Hall Pass

Reno’s City Hall got new chillers and boilers last weekend as part of a $6.4 million retrofitting program. Also included in the upgrade are improved lighting systems, a new boiler plant, control systems and instant on hot water devices. If all of this sounds like a lot of feast in a time of famine, the improvements—part of the city’s $19.4 million Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Initiative—are being paid through grants, rebates and energy savings that don’t impact the general fund. The most recent retrofit is expected to reduce the city’s operating costs of City Hall from around $4.54 to $2.54 per square foot, according to city environmental services administrator Jason Geddes.