By Christian Jennings - bio | email
THOMASVILLE, GA (WALB) - Southwest Georgia Technical college is getting state money to become more energy efficient.
As part of Governor Sonny Perdue's Energy Challenge, Southwest Georgia Tech will receive nearly $490,000 for new lighting systems, and a new sensor system that will sync the air conditioning with the lighting. That means when a room is unoccupied, the lights automatically turn off, and the AC setting shifts to a higher temperature.
Staff members say they've wanted to install such a system for years, but the upfront costs were just too much.
"Now, with them helping us with the cost, we'll be able to do three of the buildings, and we should save about $68,000 per year, and in these times that's great to help our budget like that," said SWGTC Facilities Director Gary Aldridge.
The college will begin construction on buildings C, D, and E about two months from now. They're one of 135 energy efficiency projects in the state that will all save the state approximately 15.1 million a year.
Valdosta Tech and Albany Tech also received a portion of the grant money.
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