By Bill Sullivan

If you have paid a visit to the Computer Lab at Frisco Public Library over the last year or so, you probably noticed some changes.

It’s cooler. (Literally.) Quieter, too. You may even have taken note of a lot more leg room under the tables now that those space-eating, noise-making, heat-producing Central Processing Units are mostly a thing of the past. (A few remain for training purposes.)

“The lab was a very noisy place, needless to say, with 30 some-odd computers whirring along and fans running everywhere,” Library Systems Coordinator Gary Werchan says. “Now, as you can hear, that’s clearly no longer the case.

“You can barely hear a pin drop in here some days. It’s a lot more pleasant environment to work in than it was before.”

If it’s summer in North Texas, you can usually count on two things: Searing heat and soaring utility costs.

You can mitigate the second part of that equation somewhat by following a few tips put out by the Alliance to Save Energy. Changing out filters and caulking windows may not be not the icy cold splash of water you’re craving right now, but these tweaks can save you dollars — before the dog days of August arrive to claim more cash.

By Bill Sullivan

The Frisco Athletic Center generates approximately 750,000 visits a year. With that kind of traffic, heating and cooling about 100,000 square feet of pools, workout areas, etc., can be quite a challenge – and potentially quite an expense.

That’s why, when the building was in the planning stages, the city looked into every cost-cutting measure it could implement without impacting quality. A major decision that may soon be paying dividends: Using geothermal technology for climate control.

If you missed out on the state’s appliance rebate program this spring, keep your eye out for a second chance. Thanks to unclaimed rebate funds, Texas will be able to offer a new appliance rebate program in the winter of 2010.

Through the new program, rebates will be available on a first-come, first-served basis through a purchase and mail-in program. The goal of the program is to promote awareness of ENERGY STAR appliances and decrease energy consumption by encouraging appliance replacement.

“Manufacturers hoping to receive ENERGY STAR certification of their products will be adhering to more exacting standards.

Companies wishing to qualify their products as ENERGY STAR now must submit complete lab reports and results for review and approval by the Environmental Protection Agency prior to labeling. Following a review, EPA is no longer relying on an automated approval process.

Think about keeping track of about 35,000 sprinkler heads in a city of more than 100,000 residents. Or juggling schedules to manage lighting for the city’s softball and baseball fields.

A daunting task? It could be, but the City of Frisco is able to take care of both irrigation systems and ball field lighting from one central location at the Parks and Recreation Department. Thanks to dedicated employees and some nimble software, the city can set irrigation timers, identify potential trouble spots, and make sure the lights are on for your child’s ballgame (and off promptly thereafter) — all without dispatching employees to each individual spot.