ACPS recently replaced existing light fixtures in the parking garage at T.C. Williams High School with LED fixtures, reducing the power consumption by 74 percent!
This retrofitting is expected to save ACPS about $6,500 annually, has improved the quality of light and visibility in the garage and resulted in APCS being recognized with a LEEP (Lighting Energy Efficiency in Parking) award for exceptional energy reductions in parking facilities through high-efficiency lighting and controls. ACPS was one of 15 organizations to be named a 2017 Lighting Energy Efficiency in Parking winner across the United States.
ACPS has also launched an internal campaign to replace 500 incandescent light bulbs in our school facilities with equivalent LED bulbs this year. Based on the six-year average lifespan of an LED bulb, this change is equivalent to removing 85.3 passenger vehicles from the road for one year and is expected to result in cost savings of $53,550 over six years.
To compete and win an award in a national competition is a testament of the commitment of ACPS to reduce our operational cost and our environmental impact while continuing to provide an optimal learning and teaching environments for both our students and staff,” said ACPS Energy Manager Indrajeet Viswanathan.
ACPS is committed to sustainable environmental practices and we have expanded our efforts to implement energy efficiency initiatives that will have a positive impact on our environment. These initiatives are helping to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and, they are also helping to reduce associated costs.
In recent years, this has not only involved large-scale efforts, such as those incorporated into major projects, like the new Jefferson-Houston School and the new Patrick Henry School currently under construction, but also in smaller ways, such as replacing existing light bulbs with more energy efficient LED bulbs.
When it comes to energy efficiency, solar panels and electric cars get a lot of attention. But small, incremental changes like replacing existing light bulbs with more energy efficient LED bulbs, can also have a big impact.
The LEEP program is a collaboration between the U.S. Green Building Council, Building Owners and Managers Association International, International Facilities Management Association and the International Parking Institute in conjunction with the Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Alliance.
