People who drive to the Holyoke Center for work, a doctor’s appointment, or a jaunt in Harvard Square, might take the parking garage for granted. It’s safe, convenient, and always open. And that means its 120 light fixtures burn 24 hours every day of the year.
The pre-existing fixtures were less than 10 years old, had standard 30 Watt T8 lamps and standard electronic ballasts. That's not bad; but advances in lighting technology made it possible to reduce the energy requirement by another 54,000 kWh annually.
Because of the long run hours, Harvard Real Estate Services and the Office for Sustainability determined that an energy-efficient lighting upgrade would also be financially attractive. Anticipated savings of over $7,000 a year brought the simple payback to under 8 months, and a utility rebate only sweetened the deal.
The installation was completed in two working days. Garage customers can now enjoy their parking spaces even more, knowing they are brightly lit with 40% less energy.
