December 15, 2009

Energy efficient lights pay back

By LOU PENDLETON

Last year, Bryan Municipal Utilities initiated an energy efficiency project in its facilities with installation of motion sensitive T-8 lights in the electric warehouse. The new T-8 lamps put out more light than the old lamps and use about one third the energy. The addition of occupancy sensors reduced the burn time, and the energy savings paid for the new lights in 16 months.

With the success of that project, the utility is now installing T-8 lights with occupancy sensors in the water and communications warehouses, the electric storage warehouse, and the main office building. Additional induction and LED lights are planned for the outside facility lamps. Electric Superintendent Brian Carlin said the utility will monitor the performance of the new lights to see if the technology would be appropriate in other parts of the city.

The Bryan Electric Department is also planning a much larger lighting project – replacing about 1,300 streetlights with more energy efficient technology. “We are currently using conventional high-pressure sodium bulbs with a five-year life expectancy,” said Carlin. “The new technology is induction lighting. It has a white light, generates very little heat, and has a life expectancy of 21 years with 30 to 40 percent reduction in energy use.”

Induction lighting combines the principals of induction and gas discharge in the lamp design and has an average 100,000-hour life cycle making it virtually maintenance free. Carlin said he expects energy savings alone will pay for the $900,000 project in nine years. However, savings of $45,000 per year in maintenance costs will bring even quicker payback.

“We have a lot of work in front of us,” he said. “We have a baseline count of the streetlights, but we will need to do a complete system audit this spring and get GIS locations of all lights in the project and confirm bulb wattages and fixture types.” BMU will bid out the materials and installation.

Carlin said the energy efficiency projects at BMU facilities and in the city will be ongoing for the next few years.