L’ANSE – Baraga County is looking forward to big energy savings as it begins its first full winter in a refurbished courthouse and other upgraded government buildings.

The county, which invested $1.3 million in new furnaces, windows and lighting, was guaranteed at least $346,000 in energy savings in the first three years of a contract that began June 1, but contractor Honeywell International now says the savings will be 20 percent more in the first year of the deal.

The Baraga County Board discussed a report on the Honeywell Post installation conditions at its latest meeting.

“I’m glad we made the decision to do it,” Chairman Mike Koskinen said. “It saves money for the county.”

The report showed more than $11,000 in savings during the 13-month construction period that ended in May, which County Clerk Wendy Goodreau said was remarkable, considering a few less-than-efficient moments that occurred along the way.

Last winter, she remembered, “they were putting in windows on Nov. 11.”

“We had a lot of bumps in the road, so to get that kind of savings is good,” she added.

The courthouse, originally built in the late 1800s and previously described by Koskinen as the “focal point” of L’Anse, was the main focus of the project. The courthouse got a new natural-gas boiler, lights and an HVAC system – all computer-controlled – among other upgrades to conserve electricity, fuel and water.

The county administration building also got windows, doors and more. Both it and the Sheriff’s Department and jail saved significantly with new lighting.

The dilapidated courthouse annex building – where county employees including Prosecutor Joseph O’Leary had claimed to have had run-ins with the ghost Lamar – was also demolished in the project.

Goodreau noted last year’s long winter made the construction-period savings that much more impressive.

“I think we’ll see even more next year,” she said.

Trustee William Menge said he’s withholding judgment to see what the savings are after a few years, but it had been obvious something needed to be done about the deteriorating courthouse.

“We had an old building and we were spending a lot of money,” he said. “In a few years we’ll see how good we did.”