On September 3, 2019, Norwich Public Utilities (NPU) presented a check for $61,000 to Sovereign Management, the owners of the Shannon Building in Downtown Norwich, following the completion of a significant energy efficiency project. As a result of the project, the owner’s annual energy costs will be reduced by $82,000.
“The Shannon Building has almost as long a history in Norwich as NPU,” said Chris LaRose, General Manager of NPU. “We are proud to work with the current owners to help modernize a building that is such a special part of our city’s past, present and future.”
In 2018, Jason Ziegler, a partner with Sovereign Management, reached out to NPU to evaluate a range of upgrades and improvements that would make the building more comfortable for its tenants, the State of Connecticut’s Department of Children and Family. They were also interested in improving the building’s energy-efficiency and lowering their energy costs.
Ultimately, the owners of the building partnered with NPU on the following upgrades:
- High-efficiency LED lighting upgrade with network controls
- More efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) controls throughout the building
- Variable frequency drives on the building’s cooling tower
- Upgraded air-cooled heat pumps and water source heat pumps
Sovereign worked with the State’s Green Bank through the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Program (C-PACE) to finance the project.
According to the website historicbuildingsct.com, in 1909, a massive fire destroyed the original Shannon Building, which was a large commercial and apartment building. The original building was built in 1892 by a local businessman and real estate developer named James B. “Big Jim” Shannon. It was rebuilt the following year as a fireproof structure.
