More green, coming soon

By Cindy Landrum  

FEBRUARY 28, 2011 9:46 p.m. (0)

Commercial buildings in the heart of Greenville’s downtown could get energy efficient makeovers paid for through the money saved in heating, cooling and power costs.

A block of Main Street could get LED lights that are as much as 90 percent more efficient and create uniform lighting with no shadows.

City residents could get incentives to replace their power-hogging electric water heaters with new hybrid models.

Those are some ideas being considered in a sustainability project involving the city of Greenville, General Electric and other public and private entities.

“Greenville could own green,” said GE’s Bradford Swann at a Greenville City Council work session. “Greenville could be the leader in innovative green technology.”

GE has been working with Greenville officials and the city’s Green Ribbon Advisory Committee to identify potential projects and partners for a unique sustainability project.

Swann said GE, which Mayor Knox White said is trying to expand the market for its energy efficient products, is looking at projects that will be replicable and scalable in other cities.

Swann said the company wants to formalize its partners and launch the programs in April.

Among items Swann said are being considered are a program that would retrofit commercial buildings downtown with energy efficient heating, cooling and lighting systems.

Swann said three to six buildings could be included in the program initially and the cost of improvements could be paid back over time through energy savings. The city is doing a similar program.

Many commercial buildings in the city’s central business district were last updated in the 1970s, he said. Having more energy efficient buildings could help make the vacant office space downtown more attractive to potential tenants.

A pilot program could replace streetlights with LED lights that are from 20 percent to 90 percent more efficient than typical streetlights, Swann said. Swann said a pilot program could replace lights on an entire city block.

“That can cut light pollution because the light goes where you want it to go,” he said.

In addition, officials are talking about creating an “ecosystem” for electric cars. The plan would put electric cars at the airport through a rental company and companies could provide incentives for employees choosing one over regular cars.

Another idea being batted about is creating an electric car ride-share program where a fleet of electric cars would be available on a per-use basis, he said.

Swann said the city has electric vehicle charging stations but virtually no electric cars are seen on Greenville’s roads.

For Greenville residents, the program could mean more efficient water heating. GE’s goal is to replace 150 water heaters with hybrid units that have a water heater on bottom and a heat pump on top. The units, which take the heat out of the air and put it in the water tank, can save around $300 per year.

Doug Webster, the chairman of the city’s Green Ribbon committee, said grants would be sought.