Fire District Hopes To Go Off the Grid

Amagansett Fire District commissioners hope to see its Main Street firehouse off the grid thanks to new solar panels and a soon-to-be completed wind turbine. 

Amagansett may be the first fire district on Long Island to complete a project that includes using wind to generate energy.

In the Town of East Hampton, it will be only the second completed wind turbine. One was built on a farm on Long Lane in East Hampton last year. , also on Long Lane, received approval for one, last month.

While the two on private property required town board approval, construction on fire district property is exempt, according to fire district Commissioner Kent Howie, who spearheaded the project.

The fire district received about $289,000 in grant money from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. "We had to agree to put in about another third as our part of the project," Howie said. After bidding the project out, the total cost equaled around $393,000, he said.

According to NYSERDA, the district stands to save around $11,000 a year.

Amagansett isn't the first with a firehouse to have a photovoltaic system installed. Several fire districts have on Long Island, including East Hampton Village. They installed a 49 kilowatt system on the Emergency Services Building, which houses the fire department, ambulance association, and police department, after receiving a $252,315 grant.

The district has made a concerted effort, Howie said, to go green. Energy efficient lighting has been implemented indoors, such as the installation of occupancy sensors that automatically turn lights on only when a room is entered.

The district currently spends $12,000 a year on electricity, he said.

"The building has had some usage for some time. We're trying to update it with newer, greener items," Howie said.

The district actually had even loftier ambitions. "Initially, we wanted to come in and do the triple threat; solar, wind and geo-thermal." 

However, there were some issues with the geo-thermal design and they were not completed in time for the grant application. "We didn't want to lose the grant money," he said. "We're still going to kick it around to see if it we would like to do it."  

The Long Island Power Authority was scheduled in late August to hook up a meter to the 42 kilowatt solar panel system, but then Tropical Storm Irene hit. LIPA has not come yet. 

The wind turbine's base and the support are already installed. They are now 14 days into a 28 day waiting period to let the cement cure before the pole can be installed and the 10 kilowatt system can be hooked up. 

Howie said the district anticipates it will be six to seven years before it recoup the money spent. "The goal at that point is to go to zero as far as our electric bill," Howie said, adding that summer usage will offset any electricity needed in the winter. 

The district will likely consider solar panels for any new building, Howie siad.

The district is putting forth a for a maximum of $2.8 million. If purchased, the district doesn't intend to use the building, except for the occasional training, right away. Eventually, it would knock it down and build an ambulance bay.

"When indeed we do do a building, we'll probably look to add the solar to that as well."