Marple Township, Delaware County teamed up with Rebuild America to tackle energy conservation projects that save the municipality and senior citizens in the community over $46,200 a year.

In 2000, Marple Township reduced its municipal electricity bills by retrofitting incandescent traffic lights in 33 intersections with high-efficiency LED (light-emitting diode) traffic lights. Replacement LED traffic lights use up to 90 percent less energy and last around five times longer than incandescent lights, which reduces maintenance costs and time.

The Township also replaced its incandescent walk signals, which used 135 to 165

watt light bulbs, with LED signals that use just 14 watts. The payback period was only

one year and four months.

The retrofit cost for the first phase (23 of 33 intersections) was $50,000, but the annual energy cost savings of the whole project is over $32,268.

Beyond traffic signals, the township gave hundreds of compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) to lower-income senior citizens in recognition of Energy Awareness Month.

Although CFLs cost more than incandescent light bulbs, the prices are dropping. They can last up to 10 times longer and use about two-thirds less energy to produce the same amount of light. With electric rates in the township higher than the national average, the township’s senior citizens will save approximately $14,000 in energy costs over the life of the CFLs.

These community projects lead to others in the Township, including St. Mark’s United Methodist Church which replaced incandescent light bulbs in its Sunday

school, church and hallways with CFLs. Energy use for lighting dropped from 15,000

watts to 4,500 watts.

After the traffic signal retrofit was complete, the Marple Township commissioners voted to use 5 percent of the energy cost savings to purchase electricity generated from renewable sources. The traffic and walk signals will soon run on 100 percent green power, joining the township’s 1696 Thomas Massey House which

currently is powered by 100 percent wind energy.

The Township is also working on indoor lighting retrofits. In township buildings, T-12 fluorescent lights with magnetic ballasts are being replaced with more efficient T-8s

and electronic ballasts, which will further reduce energy costs.

11/8/2004