The City of Goleta is rapidly becoming a leader in resource and energy efficiency through a commitment to reduce consumption and emissions and create a better environment for the community.
The city recently completed lighting upgrades throughout parts of the community and in city facilities with funds received through participation in the Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant Program.
The lighting upgrades consisted of high-efficiency ceiling fixtures including T8 lamps, conversion of incandescent exit signs to LED, and installation of watt-stopper motion sensors, among others that replaced older, and less efficient fixtures and lamps.
“The recent energy-efficiency upgrades are a win-win for City Hall and the Goleta Union School District,” said Vyto Adomaitis, director of neighborhood services and public safety and the EECBG project team leader. “With the installations complete, we see immediate and significant reductions in our energy bills, are improving our energy-efficiency portfolio, improving air quality through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and demonstrating to our community that green building is viable.”
At City Hall, 166 fixtures were retrofitted with an anticipated savings of $11,000 a year, or 35 percent of existing kilowatt hours. This retrofit of offices, conference rooms, restrooms and City Council Chambers cost $15,000 in materials and $12,000 in labor.
Throughout the city, 84 street-light fixture replacements cost $81,000 in materials and $18,000 in labor, and are expected to provide 52 percent kilowatt hours per year of electricity savings
Four schools in Goleta received 207 high-efficiency fixtures with an expected savings of 78 percent kilowatt hours per year. The project cost was $42,000 in materials and $11,700 in labor costs and the fixtures were installed at Brandon School, Ellwood School, Kellogg School and La Patera School.
The efforts made to upgrade lighting within the community were influenced by the city’s Energy-Efficiency Action Plan and represent a desire to improve operations and inspire change.
— Valerie Kushnerov is a public information officer for the City of Goleta.
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