After completing its Phase I Pilot Project, the City of Antioch has begun Phase II of its $4.65 million Building and Street Light Energy Efficient Retrofit Project.

Seven city buildings have already been retrofitted with energy-efficient fluorescent lighting and, beginning this month, work will begin on retrofitting more than 8,700 high-pressure sodium (HPS) street, park and public parking lot lights with induction lighting.

The project, managed by Honeywell, is believed to be the biggest project of its type in the country. In addition to saving taxpayers more than $500,000 in annual energy costs and reducing CO2 emissions by more than 1,800 tons per year, with tax-exempt financing the project will pay for itself over a 10-year period, and Honeywell has guaranteed the annual energy savings.

Since the service life of induction lamps averages approximately 20 years compared to four years for current HPS lighting, the city’s maintenance costs will also be reduced, .

The project, utilizing more than $600,000 in Department of Energy-American Recovery & Reinvestment Act block grant funds, has not only created job opportunities for local contractors, but will also provide improved lighting, a 20-percent reduction in the city’s greenhouse gas emissions, budget-neutral project costs with guaranteed savings and a 10-year financing repayment period, and a 10-year guarantee on lighting parts.

The six-month street and park light retrofit work is scheduled to begin in mid-February and be completed in July. Lighting will be installed simultaneously in southeast and downtown Antioch. Crews will utilize boom trucks to perform the retrofits and will place barricades in the neighborhoods in which they will be working.

For more information about Phase II of the Building and Street Light Energy Efficient Retrofit Project, call Ken Warren at 925-779-7035.