Bill Pribe isn't quite sure how much Toledo Jet Center is saving on its electricity bill, but he sees that, despite a reduction in the number of fixtures, the hangars where Toledo Jet staff work on aircraft are just as bright as they were before the company replaced its lights.



"When you're working on airplanes, you need a bright light," Mr. Pribe said. "The hangar is very bright, and there's more uniform lighting. It's a better color too: more blue than orange."



Toledo Jet Center, which is at Toledo Express Airport, last year became the first of what the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority expects to be many private and public building owners in the Toledo area to participate in its Better Buildings Northwest Ohio program. The program is managed by its Toledo Advanced Energy Corporation.



The program's goal is boosting energy efficiency in the Toledo area while simultaneously saving Toledoans money on their lighting, heating, and air-conditioning bills.



"It's easy to find 20 percent or greater savings" from replacing light fixtures, control systems, furnaces, and chillers, said Kevin Moyer, a Perrysburg-based consultant who is overseeing the program for the port authority. Utility-cost reductions of 30 to 50 percent are not uncommon, he said.



A $15 million federal grant the port authority received last year is the seed for a loan program officials expect will ultimately finance more than $300 million worth of energy efficiency improvements for residential, commercial, industrial, and government buildings in Toledo and surrounding areas.



The port authority expects to issue about $50 million in bonds to supplement the federal funds, including a $10 million bond issue the board of directors approved Dec. 15 and plans for sale in mid-March.



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