Energy Savings: A Grant Helped Upgrade NRRA's Lighting

As a recycling nonprofit that helps municipalities manage their own recycling programs, the Northeast Resource Recovery Association (“NRRA”) values conserving both natural and financial resources. Thanks to a $7,434 grant from the Madelaine G. von Weber Trust, NRRA was able to do just that at its headquarters.

The grant allowed NRRA to work with Prism Energy Services to replace all the interior and exterior fluorescent and incandescent lights at NRRA’s office building in Epsom, New Hampshire with LED lights. The existing light fixtures were retrofitted to handle the new LED lights, which reduced waste. And of course, in light of NRRA’s recycling mission, the replaced lightbulbs were responsibly recycled.

“This grant allowed NRRA to both reduce our annual electricity costs and also reduce our carbon footprint,” said Reagan Bissonnette, NRRA Executive Director. “We are grateful that the Madelaine G. von Weber Trust was willing to invest in NRRA and support this project.”

NRRA's annual lighting costs are expected to be reduced by 64%, leading to an annual return on investment of 25%.

The estimated annual energy savings from the project is 11,549 kWh, which is close to the average home's annual electricity consumption in the United States.

Given that electricity prices have increased since the cost savings analysis was completed, the grant will allow NRRA to avoid even higher costs in the future.

Thanks to the Madelaine G. von Weber Trust’s grant, NRRA can continue focusing on its unique mission of partnering with municipalities in New Hampshire and beyond to make recycling strong through economic and environmentally sound solutions.