Lighting changes earn Truckee school district rebate check
A partnership with the Truckee Donner Public Utility District paid big dividends for the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District, as the district received $18,736 from the TDPUD at its regular board meeting this week.
The rebate was part of the TDPUD’s Commercial Lighting Rebate Program and the school district’s investment in high-efficiency lighting will save money for years to come.
The school district worked with the TDPUD and contractors in 2010 to define the most cost-effective projects using energy-saving fluorescent and LED lighting. The TDPUD then contributed one-third of the project cost via rebate.
Participating schools included Truckee High, Truckee Elementary and Alder Creek Middle School.
The lighting projects will save the schools an estimated $10,000 per year and offer an approximately five-year simple payback.
The TDPUD has helped local businesses and agencies invest in cost-effective lighting projects by providing more than $80,000 in rebates in the last two years. The lighting program is one of several energy and water savings programs the TDPUD offers its commercial and business customers.
This is a big deal? The school I went to in the ’60’s had fluorescent lighting. The big long tube kind. When did schools STOP using those? And why are they being rewarded with extra taxpayer dollars for being sensible?
Of course, when we were kids and a lightbulb broke it just got thrown away. Now they’ll have to close the school and call out the hazmat team. . .