New Energy Saving Bulbs to Light Up White Plains Parking Garages
In 2017 White Plains was designated a Clean Energy Community by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in recognition of its leadership in reducing energy use, cutting costs, and driving clean energy locally.
The designation gave the City an opportunity to apply for up to $250,000 to be used for additional clean energy projects, with no local cost share. The City received approval to use that funding for a project to retrofit the lighting in four city-owned garages to energy efficient LEDs. This project is now underway in the Chester-Maple, Hamilton-Main, Library, and TransCenter Garages.
In total, over 2,700 light fixtures will be changed from 175-watt high intensity discharge bulbs to 35 watt LEDs. This change is expected to result in a significant reduction in energy use as well as cost savings of approximately $500,000 annually to the City, as the vast majority of the lights in these facilities are on 24/7.
All costs associated with the project are covered by the NYSERDA grant money.
The project is expected to be complete by the end of November. The work is largely being done at night in order to minimize disruptions in the parking garages during the day. The project was initially developed by the Parking Department after an analysis of its needs and the available lighting options. The Parking Department then undertook a pilot-program to arrive at the final project specifications. The City expects that these changes will have public safety benefits as well as enhance the appearance of the garages both during the day and especially at night.
