News Release

HRM partners with Efficiency Nova Scotia in mass lighting retrofits

(Monday, November 29, 2010) The first three of 40 planned lighting retrofits were completed last week at HRM fire stations on University Ave., Herring Cove Rd., and Lady Hammond Rd. The remaining retrofits will be completed by March in community centres, fire stations, warehouses, small offices and other HRM facilities.

This lighting retrofit plan is part of HRM’s overall energy efficiency program. In the past four years, efforts to make HRM corporate buildings more energy efficient have resulted in savings of close $2 million per year. Beginning last year, these savings were captured to fund future retrofits and other energy efficiency initiatives.

HRM Councillor Sue Uteck, chair of HRM's Energy and Underground Services Committee appreciates the timing of this program. "With electricity rates rising quickly, it’s important that we continue these sorts of energy efficiency investments, “she said. “By reinvesting our savings into similar initiatives, we will be well-positioned to achieve our goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2012.”

The lighting retrofits were funded in part through Efficiency Nova Scotia’s Small Business Direct Install Lighting program. It targets businesses that use less than 330,000 kWh or approximately $35,000 in electricity per year. The program facilitates lighting audits to determine a retrofit plan. The approved plan is then implemented by a third party contractor with 80 percent of the cost covered by Efficiency Nova Scotia.

Richard MacLellan, manager of HRM’s Sustainable Environmental Management Office (SEMO) sees the value in combining large efficiency projects with smaller scale ones that allow the municipality to take advantage of special funding incentives. “Most of our retrofits have a payback of less than five years before the incentive so it really is a smart solution for HRM and for taxpayers,” he said. “With the climate in crisis, anywhere we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions we will.”

HRM established SEMO to serve as the corporate lead for sustainability and environmental policy, strategy, reporting, and performance monitoring. Since 2004, SEMO and HRM have taken an integrated systems approach to the environment, focusing on clean land, energy, air and water. SEMO also coordinates internal and external education and awareness programs.

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Contact

Sue Uteck
HRM Councillor
Chair, Energy and Underground Services Committee
221-7651

Richard MacLellan
Sustainable Energy Management Office
490-6056

Julian Boyle
Infrastructure and Asset Management
476-8075

Jim Brown
Infrastructure and Asset Management
233-2732