LED Lighting Changes Yield Impressive Results

By Melanie Stewart

Two years ago we told you that the metal halide bulbs that were on 24/7 in the lot 50 parking garage were converted to LEDs saving the Med Center $48,000 a year in electricity charges.

We’re amped to tell you that the money saved was paired with and OPPD rebate program to purchase more LED fixtures/bulbs and continue to savings.

Don’t forget, lightbulbs are often sold by wattage, and we’ve learned to associate that with light.  More watts does mean a brighter bulb, but it’s actually a measurement of the amount of energy you are using.  A 75W bulb uses 75 watts of electricity, but puts off about 1,100 lumens of light.  LEDs emit the same number of lumens using substantially less watts.  The light comes from small diodes so they are easily dimmable, can be warm or cool, change colors, and emit less heat thereby reducing cooling costs.  That control allows for daylight harvesting and motion-sensing so lights are only on, and as bright, when they need to be.

Since that time lights/fixtures have been replaced in:

Administration Building                                                Annex 14/Brown Building

Durham Research Center                                               Bennett Hall

Durham Research Center II                                            College of Nursing

Hixson Lied Operating Rooms                                       Eppley Science Center

Maurer Center for Public Health                                     4230/AX 10

Core Lab/Blood Bank                                                    AX 23/Grounds

Student Life Center                                                       Lied Transplant Center

Part of AX 22/Mail Center                                             Old Red Cross Building

All Med Center street lights                                           Bellevue Operation Rooms and outdoor lighting

Parking lot 44

In total, so far, the Med Center has replaced 16,237 fixtures which will save 2,556,831kWh each year.  {That calculation takes use into consideration—office space usage compared to operating rooms, exterior lights changing with the seasons etc.}  If that seems like a lot of energy, you are right!  An average U.S. home used 10,649kWh each year, so this would be enough to power more than 240 homes for a year.  The Med Center will avoid $231,630 each year just in electricity costs but there are also additional dollars saved in cooling.  The heat put off by the lights had to be compensated with extra cooling that now doesn’t need to be used as well—saving even more.  This is especially noticeable with the boom lights in the ORs.

We hope you got a charge out of this update and once more buildings/spaces are complete we’ll be back to enlighten you again.