Lyons Towers, Newark, N.J.
July 23, 2014 — Small energy investments can pay off — not just once, but year after year. Across the Hudson, the board of Lyons Towers, a 66-unit condominium in Newark, N.J., is looking forward to the savings that switching to LED lights can produce.
Armen Tagmizyan, a property manager with Cervelli Management, who handles the property, recently ran across New Jersey's Clean Energy Program, which offers rebates to make the process easier. "I met GreenLight [Energy, an energy service provider] at an expo and they explained the program to me," Tagmizyan says. "Now there are a lot of tricks and traps out there, but I did my due diligence with the company and I found out their program makes sense."
Getting the GreenLight
GreenLight inspected the building and made out a costs and savings estimate, then presented its findings together with Tagmizyan to the board at Lyons Towers. The report estimated that the work would cost $3,600, fully covered by a rebate from the state program, which would result in a total energy and materials replacement savings of $3,315 every year.
Board president Nigel McSween led the ensuing vote, and the board decided to replace the lights. "They demonstrated to us that the bulbs burn brighter and cost less monthly, and that they'd be installed at little or no cost to us," McSween says. "Armen brought it to us and gave us all the details, so all we had to do was say 'yes.'"
"The new light bulbs use 70 percent less power than our old ones and they will last much longer," Tagmizyan says. "But there are other savings, too. The heat these light bulbs produce is nothing compared to the old fluorescent ones, so the building's air conditioning doesn't have to work as hard."
A Bevy of Bulbs
The board was able to choose from a number of different sizes and shapes of bulb when planning the replacement with GreenLight. Says McSween: "They offered bulbs for recess lighting, different widths and styles and bulbs that mimic the look of other bulbs. We chose an option that looked best for us."
The work was completed two months ago, and the savings are already starting to become apparent. Every month, the energy bill for the common areas will be lower, and the condo can also look forward to lower light bulb replacement costs in the future. "When you factor in the savings, the rebate, and the good comments from the residents, it's really a no-brainer," McSween says. "Hopefully we have light bulbs like these for a long time."
Project started: March 2014
Project ended: May 2014
PROJECT
● Installing new LED light bulbs across the property common area
INVESTMENT
$3,600, with a $3,600 rebate
PARTICIPANTS
Armen Tagmizyan, Property Manager from Cervelli Management
Nigel McSween, Board President
GreenLight LLC, Energy Conservation Company
RECENT SALES
05/11/2006: $113,000
04/14/2005: $80,000
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