NAUGATUCK — The borough will partner with a Massachusetts-based energy company to determine how much Naugatuck could save from replacing its street lights and municipal-owned lamp posts to light-emitting diodes, or LEDs.
The Board of Mayor and Burgesses last week agreed to give Mayor Robert Mezzo authority to sign a letter of intent with Energy Services Co., or ESCO, of Lenox, Mass., to determine the feasibility of implementing what officials call a street light LED conversation program.
Department of Public Works Director Jim Stewart said the agreement allows the company to conduct a mapping and auditing system of the borough’s roughly 1,800 light posts.
“They will work with Eversource to obtain the final price on the fixtures then give us an accurate financial analysis so we can make a determination of whether it’s appropriate to move forward with modernizing to LEDs, which we expect will make financial sense,” he said.
Currently, Naugatuck has metal-halide, high-pressure sodium and yellow-tinted lights. They need to be replaced every six years. The LEDs are under warranty for 10 years and expected to last between 10 to 15 years, Stewart said.
The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities prequalified three companies to its member cities and towns to aid them in the conversion process; Naugatuck met with two of them and went with ESCO. If the company’s audit report determines it makes financial sense to convert to LEDs, the borough would then negotiate a contract with the company to actually make the conversion. There is no initial cost to the borough for the audit report.
In that report, the company will also look at what kind of potential energy grants Naugatuck could get from Eversource to convert to LEDs and what it would cost to purchase the lights.
Borough officials have estimated there is a potential savings of about $200,000 per year from converting to LEDs.
Does anyone else think this process is wrong. They shouldn’t choose a company first then get pricing. They should have multiple companies bid so they can get the best price.
It is the same with CCM’s electricity supply program, the municipalities have to sign that they will buy from them before they can get pricing. Not the best way to get a good price.
Also, the pharmacist I use is not a fan of their discount RX card program, it is taking business away from the local pharmacies.
Lastly, the company performing this is from Mass., the energy broker is from Mass. and the RX company is from New York. If it is the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities shouldn’t they be supporting Connecticut companies?