PWP spends to save
By Joe Piasecki 06/05/2008
By spending millions of dollars, Pasadena Water and Power could save a bundle.
On Monday, City Council members approved a plan for the utility to spend $5 million over the next three years to install energy-saving equipment in area businesses at no cost to the user.
Sound like a bad deal for taxpayers? Think again.
PWP is predicting its Emerging Technology Direct Install Program will actually save money in the long run, saying the cost of giving away all that conservation equipment is much lower than the cost the utility would incur without the expected energy savings.
Gadgets soon to be up for grabs include sensors that control electric light levels based on the amount of daylight entering a room, modifications to heating and cooling systems and even hotel key cards that turn off lights and air conditioners when guests leave a room.
PWP conservation programs have reduced annual energy demand in the city by nearly four-tenths of 1 percent, but in September council members ordered the utility to quadruple its conservation effort.
DIGG | del.icio.us | REDDIT