There are many things within a quickly aging school of 28 years that are becoming startlingly inefficient compared to the many advancements in technology of the modern day. One of the most wasteful parts of the school are its energy consuming lights, specifically the ones that inhabit the gymnasium and parking lot. These lights, on average, make up almost 27% of the energy consumed by the school. They are largely inept, and need to be addressed as a serious problem in the schools budget. Light Emitting Diodes (Leeds) use much less energy than the current lights.
The efficiency of Leeds, the money they would save, and how plausible they are to implement into the school make them a valid choice for the school to consider. “Technology has advanced more in the last thirty years than in the previous two thousand. The exponential increase in advancement will only continue,” said a man named Nielsen Boor. The quickening pace of these progressions is has led to the advancements in LED technology. People once thought that the intriguing sodium light bulbs were the best of the business.
A few years ago came the energy efficient ND echo-friendly fluorescent light bulbs. Technology has now gifted us with the brightest and the most proficient of all the light sources to this age. Leeds utilize energy in a way that the fluorescent, incandescent, and sodium bulbs before it could not achieve. Leeds get approximately twice as many lumens per watt as sodium lights. In other words, Leeds get twice as much light power per watt of power being used. This makes them much more efficient, and a better energy choice.
Leeds also last on average 60,000 hours per bulb, while sodium bulbs have a lifespan of 20,000 to 0,000 hours. The lights that are used in the gym, as well as in the parking lots, require a warm up period and can be very inconvenient, as well as taxing on energy consumption. Leeds require very little, if any startup time, and do not require the same amount of energy to come on. Leeds far surpass the capabilities of the sodium lights currently used, and are much more efficient in their use of energy. If there is a setback involved with the idea of using Leeds, it is their initial cost.
A common sodium bulb costs about a third the price of an LED bulb. However, the extra money stops there. Leeds, as stated before, last 3 to 5 times longer than sodium bulbs, and reduce energy costs. They use at least 30% less energy than the current lights, and that would save on average 50% of the money the school uses on lighting each year. There are a wide variety of Leeds, with many higher and lower end brands to choose from. The school would have to make a decision based on whether they wanted longer lasting, more energy efficient, and/or higher quality lights.
A couple reliable brands to look at would be Aurora, because of their efficiency at utilizing the eight they emit, or Label, because they specialize in sports facilities. The best brand of Leeds found in research was the Holocene HAL series; they thoroughly describe and explain their lights, and give several options on how to purchase and install their lights. Leeds reduce the cost of energy, and pay for their more expensive initial cost several times over in the long run. A simple plan can be implemented to solve our complicated energy problem.
This lighting inefficiency is one of the biggest problems of this school and is easy to fix. Using an detective and applicable plan is Just the start to executing and eliminating this energy inadequacy. The major LED manufactures give a variety of options on the purchasing and installation of their lights. The best LED light that seem fit for both uses is the HAL Series LED. HAL Series high bay has a lower total cost of ownership compared to conventional HID high bays. The HAL Series fixture uses less energy to operate and is virtually maintenance free so you can achieve a payback in only 2-4 years.
This far outweighs the initial purchase price of the fixture. Add controls to maximize your savings. The following charts illustrate this payback based off of 2417 operation and $. 10/KHz. Maintenance costs have also been included in the calculations at $80 per metal halide lamp replacement. Lights consume over a third of the energy the school uses, and is a somewhat large problem that is very fixable. Leeds go far beyond the capabilities of the currently installed lights, and greatly reduce the overall cost and energy usage the school is currently implementing.
If a clearly defined plan is applied with the arches and installation of the lights, a lot of overall money can be saved by the school. Leeds are currently the most energy efficient lights technology has to offer, they save money both through their cost, and the money they save is their use of energy, and it is fairly simple to buy and install them into the school. Sometimes, the simple solution to a problem, even if it is installing different lights, can make all the difference in any situation. Leeds will be the first step too more energy efficient school.
