Lighting efficiency retrofits are helping schools to cut their energy usage and significantly reduce costs.
As reviewed in Energy Manager Today, here are two examples of schools that saved both money and energy with lighting retrofits.
The Advance School District
The Advance School District in Advance, Mo., hired an outside resource for a series of energy-efficiency upgrades across all schools in the district.
The resource helped the district secure funding for the project through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
Based primarily on a lighting analysis and retrofit the school district was able to save almost $13,000 a year on its utility bill (a 20 percent savings).
Lighting levels in each area were determined based on the optimal brightness students need while at their desks. Lights were replaced in all classrooms, and in other places around the schools.
Optimized light sensors were installed to assist with managing costs by turning on lights when sensors are activated. The overall costs of the retrofits are expected to pay for themselves in eight years.
Neumann University
A campus-wide exterior LED lighting retrofit project for Neumann University, in Aston, Penn., reduced the University’s annual energy costs by 63 percent. This represents an annual saving of more than $22,000. The longer life of LED fixture will save the University an additional $22,000 annually in maintenance costs. The energy and maintenance savings will see a return on investment of six years or less.
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