On Monday, New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson was joined by contractors and members of city DPW crews as they converted the first conventional street light to the energy-efficient LED bulb on Hamilton Avenue.
“One down, just 6,912 to go, New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson quipped.”
In the coming months, all of the city’s streetlights will be upgraded, representing not only a green alternative, but a net savings of nearly $1 million annually.
According to city officials, the updated lights use roughly 65 percent less electricity, cutting New Rochelle’s energy use by nearly 3 billion kWh each year. That reduction in energy translates to a savings more than $600,000 annually once installation costs are repaid.
“This means lower expenses, with an estimated annual savings of about $639,000, (though) our net savings in the first seven years will be less, about $150,000 to $200,000 as we pay back the $2.95 million cost of equipment and installation,” Bramson noted in a statement.
“Upgrading our exterior lighting was one of the recommendations in New Rochelle’s sustainability plan, GreeNR, and it is good to see this initiative underway.”
Click here to follow Daily Voice New Rochelle and receive free news updates.