How many federal stimulus dollars does it take to change all the light bulbs at Crouse Hospital?
Turns out it's about $360,000. That's to change out the bulbs and lighting fixtures. When a project costs that much money, that means there’s more to it than just swapping out old light bulbs for more efficient ones. New wiring needs to be added and it’s very labor intensive. Federal stimulus dollars will help pick up part of what will ultimately be about a $700,000 tab.
After the lighting upgrades are compete, Crouse President Paul Kronenberg said he estimates that the facility will save more than $100,000 dollars a year in utility costs.
Rep. Dan Maffei (D-25) – a huge supporter of the stimulus bill -- said he’s most excited about the energy savings aspect of the project, because he says that means the upgrade will pay itself off after 7 or 8 years. Maffei also said there are projects like this all over his district.
The ability to make these kind of improvements, even during a time of recession – it creates jobs, it helps the overall morale of the hospital, it helps make sure that Crouse remains one of the best hospitals in New York state, and I believe in the country.
A total of $ 3.1 million of recovery money was awarded across Maffei’s district for energy efficiency projects. Projects in Wayne County include similar lighting upgrades in county buildings.
