The shopping plaza at 542 Westport Ave. in Norwalk announced plans April 1 to go green by upgrading to energy efficient lighting and installing new solar panels.
The group is the first to use the state’s Commercial & Industrial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program to finance the project, which loaned the plaza $285,000 in upgrades that it will be able to pay back through its property tax bill.
“Through the use of innovative financing tools like C-PACE, we can make energy cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable,” Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said in announcing the deal. “Improving energy efficiency, addressing conservation, and supporting alternative sources of power are important for growing Connecticut”™s clean energy economy and reducing costs for residents, businesses and government.”
The lighting improvements are expect to save the building $17,500 per year in energy costs.
“All of the businesses that rent in this shopping center, both now and in the future, will see a direct benefit from this project,” said state Sen. Bob Duff, a Norwalk Democrat. “C-PACE will help hundreds of Connecticut businesses save real money on their energy costs and do it by being more environmentally friendly.”
