Ports to cut energy by remote control

Staff Report

Updated: Feb 22, 2011, 12:56 AM

Published: Feb 22, 2011, 12:57 AM

The Georgia Ports Authority, in partnership with Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) and Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission (GSFIC), has begun the process of installing an energy management system to monitor and control HVAC and lighting at seven buildings at the Port of Savannah thanks to an energy efficiency project grant.

“We continue to look for ways to improve our footprint and reduce energy consumption,” said GPA Executive Director Curtis J. Foltz. “These energy management systems will build upon our other environmental initiatives to manage port operations with consideration for best practices and procedures.”

Last September, the GPA was awarded two of the 135 energy efficiency projects as part of Georgia’s State Facilities Retrofit Program. One project automates building controls and the other uses voltage regulating transformers and an astronomical clock to reduce total energy consumption of the high mast lighting for Garden City Terminal’s exterior lighting.

Funding for the projects was provided by GEFA through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. The energy efficiency projects for state facilities include lighting system retrofits, HVAC system upgrades, replacement of inefficient chillers and boilers, advanced control systems, utility sub-metering and building tune-ups (also known as commissioning).

The Web-based remote control system for the GPA’s Administration Building, Annexes 1 and 2, along with buildings on Garden City Terminal will yield an annual savings of $78,000 in energy costs. This expandable system will reduce energy consumption by using smart switching and zone control and will enable better management of remote structures. The contract for the project was issued in January, and it is scheduled to be completed in the next six months.

“Improving the energy efficiency of government buildings will reduce energy consumption and save the state millions of dollars,” said GEFA Executive Director Kevin Clark. “Georgia taxpayers may not notice many of the improvements, but the result will be a more efficient state government.”

“Further improving our energy consumption is good business and can improve the bottom line,” said GPA’s Chairman of the Board Alec L. Poitevint. “The Authority is committed to conducting our operations in an environmentally responsible manner, and these conservation initiatives will help us better achieve that goal.”

The GPA has instituted an environmental management system, managing port operations with consideration for best environmental practices and procedures at its Garden City Terminal, the largest single terminal in North America.

Through the GPA’s crane electrification, use of refrigerated container racks, rubber-tired gantry crane repower project and use of fuel additives, the Port of Savannah avoids use of more than 4.5 million gallons of fuel annually.

About the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (www.gefa.org)

The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) provides energy, land and water resources resulting in an improved quality of life for today and future generations. GEFA is the lead agency for state energy programs and is home to the Center of Innovation for Energy; directs the Georgia Land Conservation Program and maintains state-owned fuel storage tanks; and offers financing for reservoir and water supply, water quality, storm water and solid waste infrastructure. Since 1985, GEFA has approved financial commitments totaling more than $3 billion to local governments, businesses and nonprofit organizations.

About Conserve Georgia (www.conservegeorgia.org)

The Conserve Georgia program was developed to foster a culture of conservation throughout the state of Georgia. Nearly a dozen state agencies and authorities are working together with businesses, civic leaders, educational institutions, non-profit organizations and residents to make Georgia’s air, land, water, energy and wildlife resources more sustainable now and for generations to come.
About the Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission (GSFIC).

The GSFIC is responsible for the proper application of proceeds from general obligation debt and the issuance of all public debt by the State. No agency or authority can incur debt or employ other financial or investment advisory counsel, without Commission approval.

Latest

Effingham ECCA Students Build Electric Car with Hyundai

From wiring to problem-solving, Effingham juniors Rowand Smart, left, and Dexter Bohlman tackle the challenges of building an electric car alongside engineering director Aaron Parker. (Mya Taylor / Effingham Herald)

ECCA electric car — From wiring to problem-solving, Effingham juniors Rowand Smart, left, and Dexter Bohlman tackle the challenges of building an electric car alongside engineering director Aaron Parker. (Mya Taylor / Effingham Herald)

Mya Taylor

Updated: Sep 23, 2025, 1:44 PM

Published: Sep 23, 2025, 1:47 PM

SPRINGFIELD, Ga. — For five months, 10 engineering students at Effingham College and Career Academy spent afternoons with wrenches, wires and instruction manuals, turning boxes of parts into something extraordinary — a working electric car.

The build was part of a partnership between ECCA’s engineering lab and the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in nearby Ellabell. Funded through $150,000 in state grants and supported by Hyundai’s donation of tools, the project gave students hands-on experience in electric vehicle technology while tying classroom learning to one of the region’s most significant new industries.

Finding their place in the project

Junior Dexter Bohlman hadn’t expected to be part of the build. A scheduling error placed him in a higher-level engineering class, and before long he was wiring railings, connecting a key fob and shaping the steering panel.

Much of the work he did alone. The wiring — 250 to 450 terminals in all — was especially tricky.

“You have to figure out how to manage the wires to make it so that they’re less complicated,” Bohlman said. “On the top rail it’s a little bit of a mess, but down there we managed to get it a little more concise.”

For Bohlman, the project became more than an assignment. It gave him experience to add to his aerospace résumé and a sense of ownership in something bigger than himself.

Classmate Rowand Smart also joined by accident, after his schedule shifted. At first, he said, his enthusiasm for engineering was fading. The project changed that.

“It turned into something that I was actually interested in because it’s kind of a hobby working on my truck and seeing the less mechanical and more electrical part of it,” Smart said. “The wiring, the programming, all of that was really interesting.”

Smart’s father and grandfather were both mechanics, and he said their influence helped guide him through the toughest parts of the build.

Learning by doing

Students worked four days a week on the car, often troubleshooting unexpected problems.

“We had to figure out what we were going to do, find the parts, read the instructions before we put it together, and make sure we had the right equipment,” Smart said.

Together they learned not only how to wire circuits and measure voltage but also how to rely on one another.

Engineering Director Aaron Parker said the students’ persistence reflected what he calls the “four C’s” — creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration.

A proud moment

By May, the car was ready for its first test run. Getting it out of the lab was almost as hard as building it — four adults and 10 students had to tilt and lift the vehicle through a doorway.

Once outside, the students each took turns driving. For Bohlman and Smart, it was the highlight of months of effort.

“It was probably one of my proudest moments of students, especially upon completion,” Parker said.

The car later went on display at Stemposium, a community event where STEM students showcase their work. Families and staff stopped to admire what the team had built.

Looking forward

Bohlman said he dreams of an affordable electric rally car, while Smart imagines a Mustang with electric power. Both said the project changed how they see engineering.

HMGMA Chief Administrative Officer Brent Stubbs shared his gratitude for the partnership with ECCA.

“HMGMA is thrilled to sponsor the EV lab at Effingham College and Career Academy. ECCA is teaching young students about electric vehicles and giving them an opportunity to get hands-on experience, so when we learned about their need, we jumped at the opportunity to help. We are proud to be a long-term partner in educating future generations of EV and automobile enthusiasts. We hope one day some of them will become Meta Pros at HMGMA,” Stubbs said.

As for the car itself, Parker said it will soon get finishing touches — a light and dash cover — before being used to promote the program. Another frame, bright red and untouched, waits for the next group of students to take on.

“At the end of the day we want to set these kids up to be successful adults so that they can be independent when they get out in the real world,” Parker said.