To The Editor:

You can’t manage what you don’t measure is an old management adage that is still accurate today. That’s why I am glad that the Village Board unanimously approved a resolution, supported by the Village Sustainability Committee, authorizing the Village Manager to implement policies and procedures for the purposes of benchmarking energy usage in municipal buildings.

Using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, the internet-based tool developed by the US EPA, will enable officials and the public to understand the energy performance of municipal buildings relative to similar buildings nationwide.

Buildings are the single largest user of energy in New York. The poorest performing buildings typically use several times the energy of the highest performing buildings. Energy benchmarking promotes public health and welfare by helping identify opportunities to cut costs and reduce pollution.

This new policy supports the Sustainability Committee’s efforts to qualify the Village for funding under New York’s Clean Communities Program. The committee’s proposal, authorized by the Village Board last month, is an innovative lighting program to make the second floor hallway of the Municipal Building a temporary education center for learning and experiencing different types of energy efficient lighting–If successful, the grant would cover 100% of its cost.

After this public demonstration, education and evaluation, one lighting option could be selected to be the standard for the Village. Currently the municipal building has 977 lights in it. Therefore efficient lighting can generate significant cost savings as well as a substantial cut in overall emissions.

Sincerely,

Brian Pugh