Newark’s retrofit of 14 firehouses is projected to cut utility costs by nearly $50,000 a year; that figure is a forecast, not a reported measurement of savings already achieved. The 18-month project covered stations in all five wards, according to TAPinto Newark.
Energy upgrades across 14 stations
The work included replacing aging boilers and lighting, adding pipe insulation and fuel economizers, and upgrading exhaust systems. Hundreds of commercial fixtures replaced older bulbs with LEDs; Tri-State Energy president and CEO Tejas Desai said the new fixtures would require less maintenance, TAPinto reported. Crews also added exterior lighting behind stations that had previously been unlit.
A city councilman told TAPinto that some firefighters had experienced nosebleeds and headaches; exhaust-system upgrades were intended to eradicate the problems.
Costs, forecasts and program terms
The project cost roughly $4.5 million, with PSE&G incentives covering nearly 17%, TAPinto reported. Officials forecast annual reductions of more than 225,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity and about 24,000 therms of natural gas, alongside the projected utility savings.
Newark’s work was carried out through PSE&G’s Direct Install Program. PSE&G describes the program as designed for business customers with average annual peak demand below 300 kW or annual consumption below 40,000 therms. Its program page says approved projects can receive upfront cost coverage, with customers potentially eligible for interest-free on-bill repayment of a remaining balance: PSE&G Direct Install Program.
Other New Jersey firehouse energy records
Dated energy-audit records offer a different kind of context. A Jersey City audit dated February 19, 2018, recommended replacing fluorescent fixtures with LEDs at the firehouse at 255 Kearney Avenue, according to the Jersey City audit report. In Atlantic City, a Local Government Energy Audit for Fire Station #3 is dated August 1, 2022, and a separate city audit of Fire Station #6 is also dated August 1, 2022: Station #3 report and Station #6 report. These audit records concern individual buildings and are not a like-for-like measure of Newark’s multi-station retrofit.
Two stations remain outside this round
The retrofit covered 14 of Newark’s 16 firehouses. Engine 27 and Engine 28 were not included; PSE&G officials told TAPinto discussions about possible upgrades at the remaining stations were underway, but no additional projects had been confirmed.
