Peralta Saves Energy, Money on Lighting
Monday, January 19th, 2009
The long, rectangular lights (containing high-efficiency fluorescent lamps) will replace the circular lights (containing high-intensity discharge lamps).
In December 2008, Peralta completed a massive lighting upgrade through Enlight Energy Efficient Lighting of Pleasanton: retrofitting 9,000 lighting fixtures at Laney College and Merritt College to save an estimated $90,000 on nearly 800,000 kWh of electricity every year.
The project reduces Peralta’s carbon footprint by nearly 1 million lbs. of CO2 every year. This is the equivalent to approximately 73 average North American homes or 50 average North American sedans (source: BEF carbon calculator). Peralta will receive $133,000 in rebates from PG&E for this project, which will help pay 30% of the $431,000 price tag. Then, after 4 years, the District will have full recovered the cost of the project through savings on the utility bill.
| Project cost: | $431,000 |
|---|---|
| PGE Rebate: | $133,300 |
| Annual Savings: | $90,000 |
| Payback: | 4 years |
| CO2 Diverted: | 1,000,000 lbs. |
| PCCD Staff: | Bob Beckwith |
“The savings realized through sustainability projects is a win-win for the environment and for academics,” says Dr. Sadiq B. Ikharo, Vice Chancellor of General Services for the Peralta Community College District. “This is just the beginning of Peralta’s Energy Master Planning and Implementation process that will reduce energy use and make more funds available to the classroom in a time of budget cuts.” … continue reading »