TNLL completes energy efficient LED lighting project

TNLL completes energy efficient LED lighting project
Photo courtesy Millennial Energy Project

A Bronx little league just completed a project that will make its facilities more energy efficient.

Throgs Neck Little League recently finished the installation of new LED field lighting that league officials said would go a long way to helping the non-profit organization save funds that could be used for youth programming and reduce its energy usage footprint.

Additionally, the league is also in talks with non-profit Millennial Energy Project, which helped it craft its grant proposal for the LED replacement project, on a plan for solar panels that could make the league energy independent, said Mike Pabon, MEP acting executive director.

According to the NYC Department of Design and Construction, which oversaw the contract because the league is on city-owned land, the project upgraded its existing metal halide field lighting to LED.

An agency spokeswoman stated that a total of seven light towers were affected and that 188 lights were reduced to just 45 LEDs.

The City Council funded $360,000 towards the project, with Elmhurst Electric the contractor, according to the DDC spokeswoman.

The LED lights should cut energy usage by about two-thirds.

Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. allocated approximately $400,000 to rebuild the fields after the lighting construction.

Diaz’s funding includes other improvements important to the league, like fencing, said league president Frank Eisele.

The ground around the two fields needed rebuilding because of the project, Eisele said.

The borough president’s grant was awarded to the TNLL because it showed a strong commitment towards sustainable public policy.

The borough president said that TNLL is a great organization, providing a place where borough youth can learn about baseball while acquiring life-skills such as self-discipline and teamwork.

“Throughout my tenure in office, we have invested in our parks and facilities that teams use during their season,” said Diaz. “The installation of new LED energy-efficient lights is part of our ongoing commitment to building and upgrading spaces where our children can play and exercise.”

Diaz added: “We are fully committed to providing Bronx residents with world-class sports and recreational options.”

Eisele said that he believes the borough president is a strong proponent of green, clean energy and said he and his fellow board members were thrilled he supported the project.

“The lights are brighter and the LEDs are much more energy efficient”, he said. “The electrician (on the project) told me that each light generates more energy than a clothes dryer at home.”

The league may request another allocation of funding for a solar panel project currently in design, he said.

Erica Pabon, and her son Michael Pabon, who played for the league and brought in volunteers from his college, Penn State, to help with field improvements, were instrumental in shaping the project.

Millennial Energy Project has come up with a conceptual design for the TNLL solar project, said Pabon, and the TNLL board is coming up with its own solar panel application, said Eisele.

Additionally, having fewer lights also means that there is now more space to dedicate for the Monk parrots that sometimes nest in the lighting, said Eisele.

According to Pabon, the new TNLL lights use about a third as much energy as the older fixtures.

Reach Reporter Patrick Rocchio at (718) 260–4597. E-mail him at procchio@cnglocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @patrickfrocchio.