NEW: Pawtucket Going Green with Energy-Saving Program
Friday, October 12, 2012
The City of Pawtucket is going “green” with an energy-saving program through National Grid that will ultimately save thousands of dollars and, with the help of rebates, pay for itself in 17 months while keeping over 200,000 pounds of greenhouse gases annually out of the environment.
The project involves installing more energy efficient lighting, timers, motion sensors and similar energy saving components, to replace outmoded ones at the City Hall Complex downtown, the Department of Public Works buildings at 250 Armistice Blvd. and the Paul J. Wildenhain Memorial Animal Shelter in Slater Park.
National Grid estimated the project will save the city just over $25,000 annually in electrical costs. National Grid will subsidize 70 percent of the $145,592 installation cost with the city eligible for a further 10 percent rebate through subcontractor RISE Engineering upon completion.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“This is a classic win-win program, for the environment as well as for our taxpayers,” said Mayor Donald R. Grebien.
Installation work will begin in about two to three weeks, said Lance Hill, DPW director, who noted the city School Department successfully undertook a similar program. He said the work will be performed around the schedules of the numerous city departments affected to avoid any disruptions as much as possible.
Hill said after learning of the program he enlisted Alexis Karagounis of the city Engineering Department to work with National Grid, which conducted walk-throughs of the city facilities in July and August. Karagounis said while City Hall received a similar upgrade several years ago, DPW and the animal shelter, opened in 2007, had never been subject of an energy audit.
According to National Grid’s analysis, the City Hall upgrade will save 77,086 kilowatt hours and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 84,795 pounds annually. The figures for the DPW garages are 113,206 kWh hours and 124,527 pounds of CO2; and for the animal shelter, 27,757 kWh and 30,533 in greenhouse gas emissions.
That totals annual savings of just under 380,000 kilowatt hours of electricity use and nearly 240,000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.
The upgrades include high efficiency new lighting equipment backed by extended warranties, professional installation by licensed electricians, and disposal and recycling of all lamps and ballasts removed including any harmful contaminants they may contain.
