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Local Business and Municipal Buildings Receive State Recognition for Energy Saving Efforts
Amity Regional School District No. 5 and Guitar Center in Orange won Summer Savers Silver Awards from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for reducing their energy usage by 10-20% in the summer months (May – September). The United Illuminating Company assisted both Amity schools and Guitar Center to identify resources to help improve energy efficiency and save money.
“Amity Regional School District and Guitar Center made relatively simple energy upgrades that will save them both a significant amount of money on energy bills,” said Roy Haller, Director, C&I Energy Services at The United Illuminating Company. “We work closely with our utility customers to assess areas for energy improvement and to identify resources available through Energize Connecticut programs to help make the upgrades. Rebates, incentives and low-interest financing available from the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund help our customers realize the savings from energy efficiency investments.”
To reduce Amity schools’ energy usage, a complete lighting retrofit was recommended to replace inefficient interior and exterior lighting with more energy efficient lights and chiller optimization was performed. The lighting retrofit alone will save Amity schools approximately $47,000 annually on energy bills. The total energy demand, the amount of energy required to run the facility, decreased by six percent and the total consumption, the amount of energy used over a period of time, decreased by 10 percent in a one-year time period (from summer of 2011 to summer of 2012).
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Guitar Center’s energy efficiency measures also included lighting upgrades. According to Guitar Center, replacing the majority of lights on the display floor resulted in an estimated $1,100 saved on energy bills each month, or approximately $13,000 annually. They estimate that total energy demand decreased by 18 percent and total energy consumption decreased by 19 percent.
“The decision to make the upgrades was easy,” said Elena Boone, Director of Facilities at Guitar Center. “We invested in a business solution that will pay for itself with the money we’re saving on energy, and once the project is paid off we can reinvest that money elsewhere in our business.”
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Energize Connecticut programs help you save money and use clean, affordable energy. The programs are a partnership of the Energy Efficiency Fund, the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority, and your local electric and gas utilities and are funded by a charge on customer energy bills. Information on energy efficiency programs can be found at EnergizeCT.com or by calling 1.877.WISE.USE.