LEDs Using 85% Less Energy at NY Plant

LEDs Using 85% Less Energy at NY Plant

LEDs Using 85% Less Energy at NY Plant

Energy used to light the Environmental Technologies plant in Erwin, New York, has decreased by nearly 85 percent after facility teams installed more energy-efficient bulbs.

“Our vision was to update the fixture pattern and install new LED low-energy light fixtures that produce more illumination than the old fluorescent models,” said Jon Chapin, facility electrical technician and member of the plant's Global Energy Management team.

The plant’s maintenance department started out by reviewing the existing lighting layout, and developing a plan to complete the upgrade during a holiday shutdown. The team chose a flat-panel LED fixture with a 60,000-hour life expectancy that uses significantly less amps (base unit of electric current) per fixture.

“​The LEDs not only produce a pleasing, evenly spread light, but when turned off, they appear to resemble a ceiling tile and blend in to the grid,” Chapin said.

He added the team also reconfigured the lighting pattern and eliminated 60 fixtures, while maintaining a consistent level of illumination. That, coupled with less energy used per fixture, resulted in a more than 85 percent reduction of the energy used by lighting at the plant.