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NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. New LED lighting in two city parking garages will reduce energy use and maintenance costs, saving New Rochelle taxpayers $2 million, city officials said Thursday.
Lights have been installed in the citys train station parking garage and will be connected at the New Roc City parking garage in the next two weeks, the officials said. The city demonstrated Thursday how the fixtures were installed at the New Rochelle Train Station.
The city began replacing 115-watt lights with LED lights totaling less than 50 watts last month. When the $1.25 million project, funded by a loan from the New York Power Authority, is completed, the city expects to save $160,000 in annual energy costs while also cutting energy use 60 percent.
Mayor Noam Bramson said the city benefits economically and environmentally from the new lights.
From an environmental and energy-savings standpoint, this is a win-win, he said in a statement. And, at a time of fiscal challenge, it is especially important for us to pursue every opportunity for efficiency, he said.
At its July meeting, the New Rochelle City Council accepted a $1.1 million bid from Best LED Group to purchase lights and fixtures, and a $155,000 bid from Circle D Electric to install them.
The statement said the city expects to save between $5,000 and $25,000 over the next seven years depending on interest rates and repayment of the loan. The city also said it will receive all of its energy savings over the remaining 20 years.
The new lights will reduce the citys power usage from 1.9 million kilowatts to 1.1 million kilowatts. The city will repay the loan through monthly utility bill payments.
Commissioner of Public Works Alex Tergis said the lights can last 18 to 20 years.
The improvements are a part of the city's GreeNR Sustainability Plan.
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