PROVIDENCE – The Providence Housing Authority announced last week that it expects to save $1.2 million a year thanks to $12.1 million in energy-efficiency improvements completed a few months ago.
The authority said it undertook 19 energy conservation measures across all its properties on the advice of its energy consultant, Ameresco Inc. of Framingham, Mass. The authority installed low-flow plumbing fixtures, converted oil heat to natural gas heat, upgraded lighting, and consolidated and downsized utility meters. It also installed cogeneration systems at new, decentralized heating plants at the Chad Brown and Admiral Terrace complexes. The upgrades took more than two years to complete.
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“Beyond the obvious environmental benefits, going green produces solid financial results in reducing our overall operating costs,” said Stephen J. O’Rourke, PHA’s executive director. “Reducing dependence on foreign fossil fuels also makes absolute sense from a larger national strategic standpoint.”
The authority said it expects the initiatives to lower carbon dioxide emissions by 3,273 metric tons annually, the equivalent of planting 744 acres of trees or taking 709 cars off the road.
The money for the project came from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The authority will repay the money with the savings realized by the initiatives.
Separately, the authority is gearing up to work with Northborough, Mass.-based Aspen Aerogels to install the company’s highly energy efficient “Spaceloft” insulation at Chad Brown. Aspen Aerogels operates a manufacturing plant in East Providence.
Elsewhere, the authority said grant awards from the city of Providence and the R.I. Office of Energy Resources will help pay for a vertical solar panel installation at the Carroll Tower high-rise on Smith Hill.
