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Green in Greene focuses on wind power

By Billie Dunn

COXSACKIE — Last month Coxsackie Village Mayor John Bull released a draft energy plan to help the village save money on energy costs, and the Village Board Meeting, energy took center stage.

“I was looking over our bills, and I was trying to figure out ways to cut back on our energy expenses,” said Village Trustee John Oliver. “We have programmable thermostats,” he said. “We should set them to 68 degrees during the day, and 66 degrees at night.”

Oliver noted that at home he sets his thermostats to 67 degrees during the day, and 65 degrees at night, as a cost-saving measure. He also suggested looking into automatic lights throughout the Village Building, similar to the ones that are currently installed in the building’s break room.

Bull’s draft plan is organized into three sections, beginning with short-term solutions such as weatherstripping around windows and doors, and turning off personal computers, monitors, printers, copiers and lights. Part two includes strategies for long-term energy savings through two measures, programming thermostats, and added insulation. The final part of Bull’s plan examines LED street lighting — a trend that is expected to save Anchorage, Alaska $360,000 a year — as well as exploring alternative energy options.

“The choices we make today in this community will not only save us money and protect our environment, but they have the ability to help bring security and prosperity to future generations,” said Bull, “With the Village’s energy costs skyrocketing we need both short term and long term investments.”

Green in Greene

Keith and Jessica Abrams of Green in Greene presented the Village board with wind power information at Monday’s meeting.

Green in Greene is an Earlton-based company that specializes in renewable energy. The Abrams, who own the business, have experience in the green-construction field, and earlier this year they began searching for a sustainable energy source.

“We began brainstorming in April, and we did a lot of soul searching when it came to power,” said Jessica.

She says that in the northeastern United States, solar energy isn’t the answer. Instead, she and Keith focus on wind energy — which they say is a clean and green way to power your home and save money, while effectively increasing your home’s value.

They recently installed a wind turbine on their Earlton property, and though they haven’t had it long enough to determine how much they’re saving, Keith estimates that a single turbine can cut a home’s energy costs by between 80 and 100 percent.

The Abrams chose a turbine produced by Southwest Windpower, Inc., of Flagstaff, Arizona and they say that it could pay for itself in as little as five years.

In addition to the turbine installed on their property, the Abrams have installed two turbines in Greenville and one over the river in Hillsdale — and they’re spreading the word one municipality at a time.

Though the turbines are engineered to be maintenance-free for 20 years, the initial investment is costly and Jessica says that government funding for the turbines is currently limited, but Keith says the payback makes it worth it.

“When you see the turbines in use, you gain an entirely different respect for them,” he said.

For now though, village officials plan to start small.

“In the short term, starting this winter, we must implement temperature controls and perform simple, low-cost energy saving repairs to our buildings,” said Bull. “Simple steps — including weather stripping and increasing insulation — will have a significant impact.”

Copies of Bull’s draft energy plan are available at the Village building, and more information on Green in Greene is available at www.greeningreene.com.

To reach reporter Billie Dunn, please call 518-943-2100 ext. 3323 or e-mail bdunn@thedailymail.net

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