Morris Plains Becomes More Energy Efficient

In the past two years, Morris Plains has upgraded all borough-owned buildings for more efficient energy use, and at the latest council meeting, members authorized the funding for the work.

The energy upgrades that were complete this year were on the DPW buildings and . Last year the work was done at the .

Most of the work was funded from a $21,000 state grant the brough received this year.

Councilman Geroge Coogan said that upgrading the lighting is "where the biggest payback is right away in terms of electrical savings."

The money covered all of the new energy efficient lighting in all three DPW buildings and a new furnance in one of the DPW buildings.

In the Community Center, there were new electronic controls added to the boiler and air conditioners to make them more energy efficient.

In addition to the new controls added from the state grant, the borough upgraded the all of the lighting in the Community Center to the latest energy efficiency standard for an additional $9,000 out of the municipal budget.

"We upgraded the lighting in the Community Center on our own just because we saw such a big improvement in the lowering of the light bill at town hall," Coogan said.

All of the lighting upgrades went from the old T12 fluorescent bulbs to T8 fluroescent bulbs. The new T8 bulbs are smaller, brighter and use less electricity.

Coogan said they replaced four T12 bulbs to only two T8 bulbs and a reflector, so now they're getting the same amount of light output with just half of the bulbs.

Last year when the borough first started making its energy efficient changes, they received a $50,000 state grant. The money was used to upgrade all of the lighting in the Morris Plains Municipal Building.

Coogan said the state grant funding declined this year because the amount of money needed each year varies.

"The standards kind of change every year," he said, "depending on how much money is available from the federal government and state government. We apply for what ever we think we can qualify for and what we think we can get."

After two years and two grants, and all borough-owned buildings now complete with more efficient lighting, Coogan said they're looking for more improvements.

If the borough is awarded another grant, he said, they're thinking of replacing the heaters at the DPW building to new infared heaters, which provide more heat and are more energy efficient.

The ordinance for the building improvements was under the same ordinance for the $300,000 roadway and sidewalk repair project the council .