The Lancaster City Housing Authority estimates it will save more than $17,000 in energy costs each year through its participation in PPL Electric Utilities’ new E-Power Master-Metered Low-Income Apartment Program.
The authority received nearly $32,000 from PPL Electric Utilities to make major energy efficiency improvements to two of its housing developments. The incentives covered more than half of the total project costs, and the payback period is estimated to be less than two years, according to the authority.
“The program team was great to work with and the entire process was fast and easy,” said Beth Detz, Lancaster City Housing Authority’s director of public housing. “We will be saving substantially on energy costs—savings that we can now put toward other areas to benefit our residents.”
The E-Power Master-Metered Low-Income Apartment Program offers a free energy analysis, incentives for various upgrades to common areas and residential units, and interest-free financing for the housing development’s remaining portion of the costs.
This program is administered by SmartWatt Energy and is available to master-metered, nonprofit and income-eligible housing developments within PPL Electric Utilities’ service territory.
“This program helps housing authorities and others who own low-income apartment buildings with master meters to make energy efficiency improvements,” said Joe Mezlo, manager of energy efficiency and conservation for PPL Electric Utilities. “The program also includes education for building tenants on simple ways they can save energy through behavioral changes.”
After completing a free energy analysis of two of the authority’s developments, the program team determined that implementing lighting upgrades, installing occupancy controls on lighting fixtures and vending machines, and adding smart power strips to office equipment would result in substantial reductions in energy use.
The team decided to install high-efficiency fluorescent lighting fixtures and LEDs throughout interior common areas, and compact fluorescent lamps throughout individual residential units. LED wall packs, flood and canopy lights were installed on the exteriors of both buildings.
According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calculations, these energy-efficiency upgrades will have the same effect on the environment as removing 294,631 pounds of carbon dioxide or planting 110 acres of trees.
Owners of low-income, master-metered apartment buildings can call SmartWatt at 1-888-580-7915 for more information.
