Groundbreaking at Riley County Public Works Lays the Foundation for 'Resourceful Kansas'

“Resourceful Kansas” generated lots of energy on November 4th, when dignitaries broke ground for four wind turbines to be built at the Riley County Public Works (RCPW) facility near Manhattan. GBA’s Jennifer Gunby, Kim Pearse, and Roman Bachamp were on hand for the ceremony, which marks the beginning of construction of several new renewable energy technologies at the RCPW complex. Riley County partnered with GBA, GBA Builders, LLC, and Kansas State University, to receive a $3 million grant awarded by the U.S. DOE earlier this year to implement the “Resourceful Kansas” program. The program is designed to engage communities throughout the state in making a fundamental shift toward a less energy-intensive, more efficient economy.

The first step involves adding renewable energy features to the recently completed RCPW complex, which is an award-winning model for sustainable design. GBA Builders is providing turnkey services for the installation of these additional technologies, including four wind turbines of 100 kW, 40kW, 20kW, and 2.5kW; solar-powered street lights; a used-oil heater; a thin-film PV system; and a solar under-floor heating system.

When the work is completed, representatives of selected Kansas cities, counties, state agencies, colleges and universities, agribusinesses, and other entities will have an opportunity to participate in seminars hosted at the RCPW facility. They’ll learn about available energy-saving technologies and strategies, tour real-world examples, and learn about public and private sources of capital available. Following those seminars, which will be led by Kansas State, GBA will conduct site energy assessments for selected participants. GBA’s retro-commissioning team will then provide guidance and professional support to facility owners. 

Participants will be selected from applications submitted online at ResourcefulKansas.org. Initial plans call for a total of eight one-day seminars, each involving up to 20 different entities to engage a total of at least 120 communities across Kansas. Apply today!