Veterans' Nursing Homes Get Energy Efficient Upgrades

Governor Steve Beshear praised the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs today at one of its three nursing homes in the state. The department has used a $2.2 million loan from the Green Bank of Kentucky to improve energy efficiency at its facilities.Veterans Affairs Commissioner Ken Lucas says his department couldn’t handle the capital costs associated with the energy efficient upgrades without the loan, and he predicts the savings will be significant.“As you might imagine, at a nursing home you use a lot of hot water washing dishes, washing bedclothes and drying them,” he said. “So they put into place a very efficient water treatment system.”Other improvements include new efficient lighting fixtures and heat pumps.Lucas says savings from the reduced electricity bills will pay the loan back in full within 15 years, and the benefits should continue for years.