Village Awarded Energy Conservation Grant
The Incorporated Village of Stewart Manor stands poised to cash in on federal stimulus dollars. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), Stewart Manor received $22,000 from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) last November to have an energy conservation study done on existing town facilities. Cameron Engineering & Associates, LLP, of Woodbury, which filed a grant application with NYSERDA on behalf of Stewart Manor, conducted the study. As a result of Cameron’s study and recommendations, Stewart Manor was awarded, in March, $102,172 under RFP 10: Implementation Funding for Small Communities.
NYSERDA received more than 420 proposals that were evaluated on a competitive basis. Studies had to prove that proposed energy conservation projects were technically viable, cost-effective and would yield a timely payback. Stewart Manor was one of 137 municipalities throughout the state to be awarded funding. On Long Island, 13 towns were awarded grants, seven of which are in Nassau County. Across the state, awards ranged from $2,080 for the Village of Unionville in Orange County, to $500,000 each for the City of Long Beach (Nassau County), Albany County, Clinton County – Plattsburgh International Airport, Genessee County, Wayne County, and the City of Lackawanna (Erie County).
The $24 million in ARRA funding is earmarked to provide small cities, towns and villages with resources to make long-term investments that will reduce energy costs and save tax dollars. Additionally, the projects target clean energy initiatives to further the state’s efforts to diminish environmental impact brought on by energy consumption.
For its part, Stewart Manor plans to insulate the walls, roof and windows of the Village Hall and fire house building, located at 120 Covert Avenue. The building was erected in 1927, an era during which little regard was paid to construction standards and energy efficiency. Insulation will be installed to the walls and roof, and all 16 existing single-pane glass windows will be replaced with energy-efficient windows and weather-resistant caulk. Cameron Engineering performed various energy loss calculations and determined that the payback for new insulation is expected to be 12 years.
The village will also replace all 80 incandescent light fixtures in the facility with high-efficiency fixtures. Lighting controls in the form of occupancy sensors will be installed, in an effort to bring the building up to the New York State Energy Code. According to Cameron’s study, payback for the installation of the lighting fixtures is anticipated to be nine years.
“Federally-funded programs that are being facilitated by NYSERDA are stressing clean energy and long-term energy savings,” said John D. Cameron, managing partner of Cameron Engineering. “The funding for these programs demand payback analysis of first costs and energy efficiency for the life of the project. This approach must continue on all future construction projects to ensure an energy-sustainable Long Island.”
Cameron Engineering’s stalwart presence in the engineering community on Long Island, and specifically its participation in the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification process, is helping our region fall in line with Governor Paterson’s “45 by 15” program. Paterson hopes to build an infrastructure that will meet 45 percent of the state’s energy needs through energy efficiency and renewable energy by 2015.
Cameron has provided LEED engineering services for the Town of North Hempstead New Cassel Community Center, Molloy College Campus Center in Rockville Centre and the Tanger Outlets in Deer Park. As for Stewart Manor, the energy-saving construction projects laid out by Cameron are expected to go out for bid by the end of 2010.
