Safety on the School Yard: The Winslow Township School District in Winslow, NJ recently hired GreenTech Energy Services to upgrade the exterior lighting on the grounds of the high school, middle school, elementary schools and administration building. Obsolete high pressure sodium and incandescent lamps were replaced by LED technology, providing a significant reduction in utility costs as well as maintenance costs. According to Assistant Business Administrator Jack Mills, the school community is very pleased with the project. In fact, when the superintendent drove past the high school the first night after the new lights were installed, he reported that the grounds were “lit up like a Christmas tree.” These days, when safety and security is a primary concern on every schoolyard, this is just as much a benefit as the energy savings (which are listed below).
- Program Cost————-$346,701
- Utility Rebate————–$27,785
- Payback Period———–5.7
- KW Saved——————62
- KWH Saved—————-283,598
- Energy Savings———–$41,868
- Operation Savings——–$13,868
- Total Annual Savings—-$55,737
Security on the Auto Dealership Lot: On average, car dealerships use up to 18% more energy annually than a typical commercial building. Up to 45% of that is typically due to lighting, since most of the “merchandise” is outside and must be lit up well into the night for both marketing and security purposes. The metal halide and mercury vapor pole lights still found on most dealership lots are not only energy-hungry but after a while, they cast a dull, uneven light. Plus, they need replacing every three years, and the cost of renting a bucket truck alone can run hundreds of dollars. LED lights eliminate those maintenance costs for 17 years and use a fraction of the energy. Just as important, however, is that LEDs cast a crisp white light that brightens up every corner of the lot without generating light pollution. The security of the lots is significantly enhanced, and the cars shine in the crisp, bright light.