As part of its initiative to help small to medium-sized businesses and organizations save energy, money and the environment, the South County Energy Efficiency Partnership, or SCEEP, has retrofitted the gymnasium lights at both the Carpinteria and Goleta Boys & Girls Clubs. The retrofit provides for much greater energy efficiency and cost savings. In total, 44 metal halide lighting fixtures were replaced by new florescent high bay fixtures.
Additional benefits to the new energy-efficient fluorescent lamps include:
» Better light quality.
» Better distribution of light. (Gyms with metal halide lighting usually have bright and dark spots. The fluorescent fixture is able to disperse the lighting much better.)
» The fluorescent lamps go on in an instant and have virtually no warm-up time, unlike the majority of metal halide gym lamps.
» Better lumen maintenance. (Metal halide lamps lose their light output at approximately 50 percent lamp life.)
“Not only are we saving thousands of dollars annually in on our energy bill,” said Kelly Ventimiglia, operations director for United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County, “but they completely covered the cost of the retrofitting itself, saving us over $7,000. That is quite significant for any nonprofit, especially in these difficult economic times.
“At the same time, we are ecstatic about reducing our environmental footprint as well.”
“One interesting point of note,” Ventimiglia added, “is that our previous lights took so long to turn on and heat up that our staff would simply turn on the gymnasium lights in the morning and leave them on all day, until they closed. These new fixtures will turn on instantly, which means staff are more likely to turn off the lights when the gymnasium isn’t in use, resulting in even more energy and money savings for our organization.”
The total installation cost for Goleta was $7,137, which cut watts usage by 4,320, saving $2,554 annually. In Carpinteria, the total installation cost is $8,564, which saved 5,184 watts ad $3,065 annually. Calculations are based on an estimated annual run time of 4,380 hours a year, 12 hours a day, everyday.
“It is especially rewarding, in today’s economy, that we are able to help both the Carpinteria and Goleta Boys & Girls Clubs save energy and save money,” said SCEEP spokeswoman Kirsten Deshler.
“These cost savings are permanent and reflect what will now be saved, at a minimum each year.”
Last year, more than 1,000 small to medium-sized businesses and nonprofit organizations from Carpinteria, Goleta, Isla Vista, Montecito, Santa Barbara and Summerland, took advantage of a South County Energy Efficiency Partnership program that provided up to $5,000 per customer in energy-efficient lighting, as well as free installation. The program was funded by California utility ratepayers and is administered by Southern California Edison under the auspices of the state Public Utilities Commission.
SCEEP is a partnership of Southern California Edison; the cities of Carpinteria, Goleta and Santa Barbara; and Santa Barbara County. Click here for more information on SCEEP. Click here to see more of Noozhawk’s previous SCEEP articles.
Marjorie Wass of SurfMedia Communications represents South County Energy Efficiency Partnership.