By Will Wright | Assistant News Editor
wwright@kykernel.com
A pilot project to transition to a new way of lighting Parking Structure No. 2 on Rose Street will initially cost UK about $250,000, said Lance Broeking, director of Parking and Transportation Services.
However, Broeking said the transition should save the university thousands of dollars in the long run.
It should take about seven years to make the $250,000 back, he said, but once the initial investment is matched in savings, it should save UK about $29,000 annually.
The lights will be changed from metal halide lights to light-emitting diodes, probably in the next week, Broeking said.
He also said Parking Structure No. 2’s annual electrical cost is currently about $36,000, but that would drop to $7,000 with the new 37-watt LEDs.
“We’ve been talking about (the transition) for a number of years,” Broeking said. “We’ll start seeing recurring savings pretty quickly.”
This particular parking structure was chosen to test the LEDs because the lights are kept on 24 hours, seven days a week, Broeking said.
It is easier to calculate the savings when the energy input is constant, he added.
The project is also hoped to make campus safer.
“The lights will provide a more consistent lighting atmosphere which will provide a better perception of safety,” Broeking said. “Hopefully … promoting a safer environment.”
Currently, the 175-watt halide lights in the structure have a life span of about 14,000 hours, while the LEDs are estimated to last 100,000 hours, Broeking said.
In the life of one LED light, the halide would have to be changed about seven times, so the cost of labor must be factored in to accurately estimate the savings, he said.
The decision to switch was timed with the decreasing prices of LED lights over the years.
“(A few years ago), the payoff time was longer than would give us comfort,” Broeking said.
But with the decreasing prices comes a growth in demand, and there are many new companies responding.
“We wanted to make sure we were investing in light fixtures from a company with a good reputation,” Broeking said.
CMTA Consulting Engineers are assisting PTS with the project, which is being managed by Bob Williams, assistant director for UK Capital Projects Management.
Parsons Electric has been hired as the contractor.
PTS is funding the project with its budgeted annual funds, so no money has been borrowed to install the new lights, Broeking said.
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