City of Newark – Sean Middleton – 2012

Goals 

The City of Newark had hired Sean Middleton to pursue energy efficiency at the Newark Public Library system, which is the largest in New Jersey. 

Solutions

Middleton focused on funding energy audits and a system-wide lighting retrofit. He proposed paying for the audits via Clean Energy New Jersey programs such as the Local Government Energy Audit (LGEA), which offers up to $100,000 for comprehensive building evaluations. He recommended New Jersey Direct Install for the system’s other facilities; this program could pay for 70 percent of all energy efficiency upgrades. Middleton also presented his findings to the Library Director, Senior Management and the President of the Board of Trustees, urging them to take immediate steps to secure energy efficiency funding.

Potential Impact

The lighting retrofit Middleton recommended, which would cover all system facilities, could save Newark over $80,000 and over 300 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. Library leaders have already begun to pursue the LGEA & Direct Install programs – they are currently applying, for example, to LGEA.