Energy Efficiency  -  January 16, 2019

Three Rivers Community College completes energy upgrade

Three Rivers Community College, located in Norwich, Conn., announced the completion of a facility-wide upgrade of its interior lighting. The upgrade led to a rebate of $95,018 from Norwich Public Utilities (NPU).

A report by the Norwich Bulletin said the rebate covered 35% of the project’s total cost of $271,480. Additionally, NPU estimates that Three Rivers will save approximately $55,366 in annual energy costs going forward, translating to a return on investment in a little more than three years.

School President Mary Ellen Jukoski said the savings to the school is the equivalent to the tuition for more than a dozen full-time students. “To put the scope of this project in perspective, with NPU’s help, Three Rivers Community College will save more than $55,000 a year on our energy costs, which is the equivalent of the tuition for 14 of our full-time students,” Jukoski said in a release. “NPU has been a great supporter of the college for years and their guidance throughout this project is greatly appreciated.”

The project involved the replacement of 8,575 light bulbs with energy efficient LED light bulbs, which NPU said provides better light while using significantly less electricity. Occupancy sensors were also installed in a number of locations throughout the campus to further reduce energy use and costs.