City considers LED lighting, accepts grant

Willoughby is considering installing LED lighting and making HVAC fixes using money from a Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council grant.

In a recent city council meeting, council approved a resolution to accept a $89,270 Energized Community Grant from NOPEC. During the meeting, Director of Public Service Lee Bock commented on some of the projects involved with NOPEC funding — past and future.

Last year, the city accepted just over $94,000 in grants from NOPEC. Bock said that the grants funded parking lot lighting at the police station (including LED

lights), as well as traffic signals downtown and on Vine Street.

One project that has not been completed yet is LED lighting on Diamond #2 at Todd Field.

“That will be our first project coming out (this year), will be upgrading that ball field,” Bock said. “What’s nice about that project is that we can meter each diamond so we will immediately know the cost savings on operating those lights.”

He also mentioned that there are still contingencies with the possible installation of LED lighting.

“We have talked with First Energy. We’ve talked with NOPEC,” Bock told City Council. “They haven’t even assured us that they will allow NOPEC funding to be spent on FirstEnergy lighting... We’re still waiting to get an answer on that. I don’t know what answer Wickliffe has got.

“If we did do something there, it would be in an industrial area. Those seem to be the biggest savings — 250-watt mercury vapor (lights)... It would be a good demonstration area that would not affect people.”

When asked by a councilman about the cost savings, Bock said that the project could possibly be done in sets.

“I think what we need to look at is: if we can find some funding to do the first set, take the savings from that and pay for the next area (and so on),” Bock said.

A recent News-Herald article reported that the City of Wickliffe revealed a plan to install LED streetlights citywide.

Wickliffe’s plan also involves approval of NOPEC grant money.

Bock added that there are city buildings in Willoughby in need of HVAC projects that need to be considered going forward, in addition to other LED lighting areas.

“We do have to get approval from NOPEC on spending the money,” he said.

“So we’ll narrow the projects down, make some decisions...”