The Foundation's seven indoor lighting programs have assisted
schools, libraries, child care centers, park districts, colleges &
universities, county historic courthouses, and public safety facilities
in hundreds of communities throughout Illinois embrace cleaner energy
and lowered utility bills by the simple act of replacing old lights
with high efficiency light bulbs and controls. The Foundation’s
indoor lighting programs for K-12 Schools, Park Districts and Public
Libraries ended in 2007. In 2008, the Foundation launched new indoor
lighting programs to upgrade lighting systems in public safety and historic
county courthouses. The Foundation's only outdoor lighting program also
ended in 2007. The LED Traffic Signal Programs provided municipalities
higher quality, more energy efficient LED traffic signals at a lower
cost to taxpayers.
Every Foundation dollar granted to support lighting upgrades
has leveraged nearly another dollar of energy efficiency investment
from other sources.
Benefits of upgrading to efficient lighting systems:
Improved lighting quality
Reduced operating and maintenance expenses
Saved energy, leading to less pollution in Illinois
communities
Current Lighting Upgrade Grant Opportunities
HISTORIC
COUNTY COURTHOUSES
The Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, with the
support of the Illinois Association of County Board Members and Commissioners,
encourages all counties that operate historic courthouses and public
safety buildings to apply for funding through the Foundation’s
Historic County Courthouse and Public Safety Lighting Upgrade Grant
Program. Upgrading to energy efficient lighting saves energy, cuts operating
costs and improves indoor lighting quality.
County courthouses designated as historic by the Illinois
Historic Preservation Agency or other government agency are eligible
to apply for funding to pay for energy-saving upgrades to lamps, ballasts
and/or controls in existing indoor lighting systems. Grants are up to
$700 per kilowatt of electricity reduction in electricity demand that
the lighting upgrade, as installed, yields. Grants will be limited to
no more than $40,000 for any one historic courthouse building.
Lighting Upgrades bring improved lighting quality for
courthouse employees and visitors while decreasing operating and maintenance
expenses. The Foundation’s lighting upgrades save energy, help
create cleaner Illinois communities, and serve as an energy efficiency
model from which the community can learn.
County governments and 501(c)3 organizations that own
and operate historic county courthouse buildings may apply for funding
through this program.
If you have questions about this grant program, please
contact Bob Romo at Illinois Clean Energy (312-372-5191), bromo@IllinoisCleanEnergy.org)
or Kelly Murray at IACBM (217-528-5331), (iacbm@msn.com). Return to top .
PUBLIC
SAFETY FACILITIES
The Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, with the
support of the Illinois Municipal League, encourage all municipalities
that operate public safety buildings to apply for funding through the
Foundation’s new 2008 Public Safety Lighting Upgrade Grant Program.
Upgrading to energy efficient lighting saves energy, cuts operating
costs and improves indoor lighting quality.
This is the Foundation’s second program developed
with the encouragement and endorsement of IML. IML previously worked
with Illinois Clean Energy to design the LED Traffic Signal lighting
upgrade program to help overcome the higher up front costs of LED traffic
signal bulbs.
Local government agencies (including municipalities, villages,
townships, fire protection districts & county sheriffs) are eligible
to apply for funding to pay for energy-saving upgrades to lamps, ballasts
and/or controls in existing indoor lighting systems. Grants are up to
$500 per kilowatt of electricity reduction in electricity demand that
the lighting upgrade, as installed, yields. Grants will be limited to
no more than $30,000 for any one public safety building and no more
than $120,000 for any unit of local government.
Stand-alone public safety buildings such as fire and police
stations are the most common type of public safety building. Multiple
use buildings that provide public safety services along with other government
services (e.g., city halls that house police departments) are eligible
to apply for this program so long as public safety related functions
comprise a minimum of 40% of total building square footage.
Lighting Upgrades bring improved lighting quality for
public safety employees and visitors while decreasing operating and
maintenance expenses. The Foundation’s lighting upgrades save energy,
help create cleaner Illinois communities, and serve as an energy efficiency
model from which the community can learn.
Learning extends beyond the K-12 classroom, park districts
and libraries to child care centers. The Foundation's child care center
grants provide improved lighting quality and energy efficiency. Children
and caretakers benefit because money saved can be put into the facility
and the child care provided.
Charitable (501c3) organizations and public agencies that
operate licensed or license-exempt child care centers in Illinois serving
a minimum of 16 children may apply for a grant through this program.
K-12 schools, parks and libraries providing child care should apply
through the Foundation's separate programs serving those types of facilities.
Foundation's grants provide cost-saving, high-efficiency
lighting to teaching and research buildings creating the latest energy
efficient learning environment for tomorrow's business leaders and great
thinkers. Colleges and universities save money while the environment,
student body and faculty benefit.
Public and nonprofit colleges and universities in Illinois
may apply for grant funding through this program for teaching and research
buildings located on campuses serving at least 400 full-time undergraduates.
