Arlington Hts. eyes ways to spend stimulus money

Whether to spend $300,000 to install solar collectors on the public works building is one of several decisions the Arlington Heights village board will make Monday, as they grapple with how to spend $714,100 in federal stimulus funds.

The $714,100 has been committed to the village under the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant, said Charles Witherington-Perkins, director of planning and community development.

However, the U.S. Department of Energy must first approve Arlington Heights' plans for the money, and the application is due by June 25.

The Energy Department will decide whether the projects meet their guidelines, which include reducing fossil fuel emissions and energy use, and promoting job creation.

Trustees discussing the project list at a recent meeting asked village staffers to devise alternatives that might replace the public works building's $300,000 solar panels, by far the most expensive project on the list.

The alternative that trustees will hear Monday is to spend $460,000 to replace the sodium vapor lights in downtown Arlington Heights with light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs, which burn less electricity.

Under the original proposal $139,000 would be spent to change the lamps in the downtown area and at the public works garage to LED bulbs.

The public works change would be eliminated with the second option.

The advantages of the original plan include being able to test solar technology at the public works center, says a staff report.

On the other hand, the new option would get most of the downtown decorative light fixtures upgraded to LED bulbs, which might be difficult to accomplish without the grant.

Other proposals include:

• Using $70,000 to offer low- or no-interest loans to homeowners to make their houses more energy efficient. Another $70,000 would be made available for small businesses. These pools would be reduced to $67,000 each if the option favoring the downtown lighting changes was chosen.

• $30,000 for solar panels on a new bike shelter that will be built near the downtown train station with tax increment financing money or other grants. The money available would fall to $25,000 under the second option.

"People could see solar panels and how they work and it will encourage people to save energy by riding bikes to the station," said Witherington-Perkins.