SAUGUS — Saugus has a bright idea to save taxpayers money.
State funds will pay for new LED lights at the Department of Public Works and the Town Hall Annex building. It will also cover the cost of replacing a rooftop unit at the Public Safety Building. The projects are expected to reduce energy consumption and save taxpayers nearly $13,000 annually, said Town Manager Scott Crabtree.
“We are extremely grateful that the town of Saugus has been awarded this generous grant through DOER,” said Crabtree. “This funding has and will continue to tremendously benefit the town of Saugus through cost-effectiveness and energy efficiency.”
This $135,000 award from the Department of Energy Resources is the fourth Green Community grant the town has received. Since receiving the designation in 2015, Saugus has raked in more than $836,000 in funding.
Under the Green Communities Act, cities and towns must meet certain criteria to be designated a Green Community and receive funding. The grants provide financial support for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that further the designated communities’ clean energy goals. This seventh round of DOER Green Communities competitive grants is awarded to existing Green Communities that have successfully invested their initial designation grants and previous competitive grant awards.
Last year, funding through the program allowed the town to invest in converting fluorescent bulbs to LED bulbs at Town Hall, the Senior Center and the Public Safety Building. This reduces the electrical costs by $27,930 annually, according to Crabtree.
The money also paid for the replacement of a rooftop at the Public Safety Building, pumps, drives and motors on the heating system in Town Hall, and the replacement of the water boiler at Town Hall. This has reduced energy consumption and costs.
Since first being designated as a Green Community, Saugus has been committed to reducing its energy consumption by 20 percent over five years. This award and the projects selected are crucial to achieving this goal, said Crabtree.
