Paul here. Once again I was asked to review a proposal for energy saving light fixtures at Pine Hill School. It's really a shame that the utilities and contractors have a system that takes advantage of people who are trying to do the right thing, but don't have the expertise to review their proposals in a meaningful way. People just have to take a leap of faith that the proposals are in the town's best interest. However, the fact is that the contractors make more money by providing more expensive, and sometimes inappropriate materials. They have suggested the town use some light bulbs that, while they save energy, are five times more expensive than a conventional type. These bulbs can last for 100,000 hours, so when labor or maintenance costs are very high, they may be the correct thing to use. But the school has a crew of full-time maintenance people who perform all sorts of functions, so spending a lot more money to save a few less bulb changes over several years would not make economic sense. I reviewed the contractor's proposal today and pointed out to the committee that they do not need to spend so much for the proposed energy saving fixtures.
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