News

November 19, 2009

Stimulus cash will improve area’s energy efficiency

Municipal buildings, a university and Wachovia Arena are targeted.

By Andrew M. Seder aseder@timesleader.com
Times Leader Staff Writer
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Seven energy saving projects in Luzerne County will be paid for with more than $1.1 million in federal stimulus funds.

The seven local projects are among 99 across the state that will share in more than $22 million. The local projects involve the replacement of high-energy-consuming items such as high-wattage lighting fixtures and old furnaces, among other money-saving upgrades.

The local projects are:

• $250,000 to replace the 25-year-old electric heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, bathroom fixtures and faucets to conserve water use in Nanticoke’s municipal building. The upgrades could save 2,446,790 kilowatt hours.

• $241,114 for an energy-efficiency retrofit of the West Wyoming Borough Building to install high-efficiency Energy Star furnace and air conditioning, windows, insulation, brick re-pointing and lighting. The project will reduce energy consumption by 27 percent and will save 30,830 kilowatt hours.

• $239,000 will be used by the NEPA Alliance for a multi-municipal effort to increase energy efficiency of government buildings, including replacing doors, windows, lighting fixtures and water heaters. Dallas borough and Kingston and Lehman townships will benefit from the funds. The expected number of kilowatt hours saved by these projects is 1,001,764.

• $176,576 to retrofit the outdoor marquee with an LED display at the Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza. These funds were awarded to the Luzerne County Convention Center Authority.

• $170,602 to replace 162 T12 light fixtures and 42 incandescent exit signs with equivalent LED fixtures at Misericordia University. This could save 955,750 kilowatt hours.

• $46,144 to replace old high-wattage lighting fixtures in seven buildings at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. This could save 3,075,300 kilowatt hours.

• $32,003 to improve insulation and to reduce overall energy use in heating, water heating and lighting at the Huntingdon Township building. This work could save 1,072,070 kilowatt hours.

Some of those who received the grants praised the initiative.

“Given the extensive facility improvement projects under way at Misericordia University, the PA Conservation Works! Program funding represents a most timely opportunity for the institution to enact energy efficiency improvements that will reduce energy consumption and costs and will be of lasting benefit to our campus community and the environment,” said Michael A. MacDowell, university president.

For West Wyoming’s hall, which was built in 1911, the funds will really modernize the building. Windows on the second floor are original and the furnace is 30 years old.

In addition to those projects, NEPA Alliance also secured $982,000 to convert existing traffic signals to more cost-efficient models. The lights are located in 43 municipalities spread out across Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Wayne, Carbon, Monroe and Schuylkill counties. Overall, NEPA Alliance received more than $1 million of the $22 million released by the state.

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