HV Biz News Archive Vol 3 No 45 - November 9, 2009 A push to wean big users from fossil fuels
A push to wean big users from fossil fuels
Hospitals and farms have little in common, but they both pay a lot for the energy they use to stay in business. Now, thanks to separate federal grants, they can share the benefits of renewable energy projects.
Three Hudson Valley hospitals and The Solar Energy Consortium (TSEC) are working together to use renewable energy efficiency to upgrade services while using energy more efficiently under a $423,200 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
TSEC will work in conjuction with HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley, the umbrella corporation for Benedictine Hospital, the Kingston Hospital and Margaretville Hospital. The award was announced Oct. 15 and work has already begun on the projects.
HealthAlliance will buy: a solar thermal system for generating hot water for part of the Benedictine campus; a hybrid vehicle to bring passengers between Kingston and Benedictine campuses; a hybrid SUV to travel between Kingston and Margaretville; high-efficiency and low-maintenance LED lighting for parking lots and outside areas at all locations; and solar-powered lighting systems for signs at Kingston and Benedictine.
Meanwhile in the farm fields, sunshine was being called upon to do more than grow vegetables. On Oct. 20, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director Jill Harvey and U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey visited Sunshine Orchards in Milton to announce more than $371,481 in federal loans and grants for 10 local farms to install solar energy systems and make other renewable upgrades that will enable them to cut their nonrenewable energy use.
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