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Hancock Field receives NYSERDA rebate for energy conservation

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Duane Morgan
  • 174th Attack Wing
Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, Syracuse, NY --  Members of the 174th Attack Wing's Civil Engineering Squadron recently received a rebate check for energy conservation.

"It started as a work project to save money on monthly bills," said Staff Sgt. Joshua Fuqua, Engineering Assistant for the 174th Civil Engineering Squadron. "We retrofitted three buildings here on base with new lighting."

The project served as a dual function. It was started to reduce energy cost and increase lighting.

The rebate is issued by the New York State Energy and Research Authority (NYSERDA) for using pre qualified lighting and is only available to guard units in New York State.

The project was passed on to Sgt. Fuqua by Jon Chestnut, Regional Energy Manager.

After being tasked with the project, Sgt. Fuqua began to create lighting packages for each building. Once the packages were complete he passed them on to Mrs. Danita Kinner, the Civil Engineering Resource Advisor. She then kept track of all their finances.

After each project was done Mrs. Kinner and Sgt. Fuqua were able to submit an application for the NYSERDA rebate and helped Hancock Field become the first guard unit to receive the reward.

NYSERDA is used to encourage government or privately owned facilities to reduce the cost of lighting.

"The amount of energy saved in just in just two of the three buildings would be enough to pay off the entire project in less than five years," said Fuqua. "The money saved goes back into new lighting projects.

"When all the lights are on in these buildings, it feels better than daylight," said Fuqua. Plus it's cleaner light and we're saving money.

The total cost of all the projects combined is $97,773, with a yearly saving average of $24,525.