RSS 2.0 FeedThursday, December 1, 2011, Freeport-Baldwin Leader
Here comes the sun....
Freeport aims to go green.
Going Green, Village Trustee Robert Kennedy with the new turbine.
Freeport village is going green and finding new ways to deliver services and save energy and money at the same time.
Its latest efforts include the installation of the 50 kW solar panels on the roof of Freeport Fire Department Headquarters, the largest fire house and the first municipal building in Freeport to receive the panels. The 50 kW solar panel project will reduce the operating cost of Freeport’s Fire Headquarters, a building that operates 24-hours a day, say Freeport officials.
At a press conference on Monday, November 28, Freeport Superintendent of Electric Utilities Anthony Fiore said “This unit will reduce annual emissions by 97 pounds per year and approximately 20% of its operating expense but cost the village nothing at all.” Additionally, the project will bring a savings to the village of over $7,000 per year. According to the village’s press release, this translates into a reduction in emissions of 104,256 pounds or the equivalent of 7.21 cars.
“There are many ways a municipality can go green and Freeport has instituted several steps to reduce its carbon footprint,” said Mayor Andrew Hardwick. In addition to installing solar panels the Village of Freeport has purchased several hybrid cars, one hybrid truck and replaced 340 street lights with an energy efficient alternative.
Solar panels in Freeport
The 50Kw solar project could not have been completed without the assistance of the New York States Energy, Research and Development Agency (NYSERDA) who provided an investment of $355,027. These funds came through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, which not only helps reduce electricity costs and carbon pollution but also helps to create local jobs.
Mr. Fiore said he began looking into renewable resources back in 2008 when he led the village to start ECAP – the Energy Conservation Awareness Program – which “focused on four main topics – educating the customers with a robust education program, renewable energy, energy efficiency and reducing dependence on foreign oil,” he said.
In addition to the solar panels, above, at fire headquarters, the village electric department, with the help of Lenny Catalino of the New York Power Authority, negotiated a rebate program for customers who have installed solar panels. This resulted in close to a quarter million dollars in rebates for Freeport residents.
Furthermore Freeport received $173,000 in a grant from the Department of Energy to be “used to install approximately 340 80-watt induction street lights that replaced the 123-watt lights previously used throughout the village.
The Village of Freeport also received another incentive to reduce its energy cost. The New York Power Authority, is providing Freeport with almost $60,000 toward the purchase of a hybrid bucket truck as well as 0% financing for 36 months.
Mr. Fiore also recognized Les Endo, a Freeport Electric employee who has helped to write grants and gotten many of these projects off the ground.
All in all, Mayor Hardwick said the village has reduced pollution by generating 350 pounds less of emissions and has reduced energy usage by more than 200,000 kilowatt hours, plus ‘peak demand’ has been reduced by 163 kilowatts.
“Because of these and other measures the village has been able to pay down a million and a half dollars in my first year in office,” said Mayor Hardwick. “We must keep searching for more new technology, that is what it is all about.”
