With the help of North Carolina software developer, the city of Roanoke, Virginia is finding it a lot easier, faster and less expensive to improve the energy efficiency of its municipal buildings, most of which were built more than half a century ago.

Roanoke’s efficiency push is part of its first-ever Climate Action Plan, aimed at lowering its carbon footprint on multiple fronts. But the city is finding there’s a strong economic case for the projects as well.

In 2014, Roanoke saved more than $500,000 in avoided energy costs compared to 2005, according to Nell Boyle, the city’s sustainability and outreach coordinator.

In a draft of the city’s initial Climate Action Plan report due out this fall and shared with Southeast Energy News, the city acknowledges how its “building stock was aging, maintenance on the buildings was well behind schedule and equipment was in imminent need of repair.” The upshot: Roanoke, like many municipalities, had its work cut out for itself, and every day it delayed was costing it more money.

Read the full story. (Southeast Energy News)