Village of Monroe expects to save $6,000 yearly through O&R efficiency effort

MONROE - The village of Monroe has made $10,000 worth of municipal building equipment upgrades that will save about $6,000 annually on its energy bills - and the work didn’t cost the village a penny. Under the Lighten Up program, O&R performed a free, no obligation energy survey of the village’s four municipal buildings and agreed to pay 70 percent of the cost of $10,000 in new energy-savings equipment recommended by the survey. Those recommendations included state-of-the-art, energy efficient T8 lighting fixtures and bulbs, compact fluorescent bulbs and occupancy sensors. Village Mayor James Purcell agreed to the upgrades and then took advantage of a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy through the Orange County Department of Planning for the $3,000 balance. The result: the village of Monroe pays nothing out of pocket for the improvements and will save about $6,000 per year on its energy bill. “Our work with O&R on this program was helpful in getting the county grant,” Purcell said in a press release announcing the program. “We keep trying to trim expenses to help the village get through these tough economic times. This was a big help.” The Lighten Up program is available to all qualified O&R New York small business customers, including municipalities, using a monthly peak demand of less than 100 KW. The mayor credited Assistant Building Inspector James Cocks’ work in setting up the project, coordinating the work and applying for the county grant. “Without Jim,” he said, “this wouldn’t have happened. This was a very smooth, a very positive experience, and we ended up saving money.”

'Lighten up’
Since the program’s inception in November 2009, O&R’s free energy efficiency surveys have been conducted at more than 1,100 small businesses. According to the utility, more than 40 percent have completed the installation of energy efficiency measures and lowered their energy bills.
The program is administered by O&R in coordination with its implementation contractor Willdan Energy Solutions, a national provider of specialized energy services.
The program is expected to run through December. Customer participation is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Call 1-877-786-0555 today to schedule a free, on-site evaluation.