Village News

Valley Stream looks for energy savings

Possible project would include replacement of all street lights

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In an effort to save on energy costs and upgrade Valley Stream’s infrastructure, village officials are considering signing an energy performance contract within the next few months.

The biggest part of the project would be replacing all of the village’s street lights — 2,485 of them, to be exact — with LED lights. LEDs use significantly less energy than the current street lights, which use high-pressure sodium bulbs.

The village is considering using Johnson Controls, which recently completed an energy performance contract in Lynbrook that included the replacement of all street lights. Thomas Burke, of Johnson Controls, talked about a variety of projects that could be done in Valley Stream to save money.

The estimated cost of the project would be about $3.8 million. The village would take out a loan, and the total cost would come to $4.5 million with interest. However, Burke said there would be no additional cost to taxpayers because the yearly payment would come from the energy cost savings. Also, he said, the first payment would not be due until the village has benefitted from a full year of energy savings.

Burke estimated that Valley Stream’s electric bill for street lights could be cut in half, saving about $108,000 a year. Additionally, because the LED lights have a 23-year lifespan, the village will save money on bulb replacements. If the contract is approved soon, he said, the new lights could be installed by September. “The first day that we put a street light in, you save,” he told the board.

A typical street light runs for about 4,000 hours a year. Treasurer Michael Fox said that the village has been looking to replace all of its street lights but the cost would have been prohibitive, so an energy performance contract is a way to get this project done. A few street lights have already been upgraded.

In addition to the street lights, projects would include new lighting at the Public Works garage, weather stripping around doors at several buildings, various heating system upgrades and solar panels on the roof of the John Smith Bandshell.

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