Utility lights way to commercial energy savings

Central Hudson Gas & Electric officials announced the regional utility has expanded its energy-efficient lighting program for businesses and other nonresidential customers in the Hudson Valley.

The program now includes exterior LED replacement pole lighting for commercial business and nonresidential applications such as parking lots, office campuses and similar open spaces.  Central Hudson will cover up to 70 percent of the total project cost for qualifying commercial customers who replace older, inefficient outdoor lighting with new LED technology.

“Exterior LED pole lighting provides high-quality outdoor illumination at a fraction of the cost of conventional lighting systems,” Brian Dimisko, Central Hudson”™s manager of energy efficiency and natural gas marketing, said in a press release.

Dimisko said the Poughkeepsie-based utility since 2011 has done more than 3,000 lighting upgrades for business and nonresidential customers that have saved more than 28 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. Those customers”™ combined energy bills have been reduced by more than $2.4 million each year, he said.

Businesses, municipalities, schools, not-for-profit organizations, institutions and other nonresidential customers of Central Hudson may participate in the turn-key commercial lighting program.

Lime Energy Co., Central Hudson”™s program partner, will conduct a free, no-obligation lighting assessment and provide a report on recommended measures, installation costs, rebates and estimated payback, which averages less than two years.

Central Hudson officials said funding for the program is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information, visit CentralHudsonLighting.com or call 855-236-4832.