Waupun, Wis. – Energy-saving upgrades to lighting at Waupun’s City Hall, public library, public safety and community center have earned the City incentive payments totaling nearly $17,115 from FOCUS ON ENERGY® and the City’s utility. The City’s participation in the Focus on Energy program and commitment to energy efficiency was recognized during a brief ceremony and check presentation Thursday afternoon.
The City of Waupun made LED lighting upgrades in the four municipal buildings, and the lighting technology and controls will provide annual savings on utility costs of about $16,000. The estimated annual energy savings (155,353 kilowatt hours) equates to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 131 tons, which is like taking 25 cars off the road.
The projects were the first completed since the City adopted an energy management policy in December 2018 to reduce electric energy use in municipal buildings by 5% in three years. The resolution enrolled the City in WPPI Energy’s Utility and Municipal Building Efficiency Incentive program.
“They jumped in right away and we identified some lighting projects here in town,” said WPPI Energy’s Eric Kostecki. “(They) really demonstrated their commitment to energy efficiency and really showed their residents and the businesses, ‘here is what it takes to go ahead and save energy.’”
”These improvements will help the City save money on energy costs and maintenance for years to come,” said Waupun Director of Public Works, Jeff Daane. “Of note, the dimming capability of the lights over the ice at the community center provides enhanced options for lighting different events.”
The City is a customer of Waupun Utilities, a member of WPPI Energy and one of the 107 Wisconsin utilities that fund and partner in the Focus on Energy program, which provides energy expertise and financial incentives to homeowners, businesses, farmers, schools and municipalities that invest in energy efficiency. The Focus on Energy incentive for the energy-saving projects at the city buildings is $9,015, with Waupun Utilities and WPPI Energy providing an additional $8,100.
“Once we reached out and started the process of making the change to LED lighting, we really tried to let our citizens know this is a great opportunity, that they can also do this at home, this is what it is saving for the City,” said Waupun Mayor Julie Nickel. “And hopefully we educated them enough to go ahead and do these same things at home.”M
