February 2, 2007
A campus-wide retrofit of thousands of antiquated fluorescent lighting fixtures could be complete by the summer of 2010.
Under a proposal that will go before the Board of Governors in March for approval, the 26,000 magnetic ballast fluorescent fixtures remaining on campus will be replaced by more energy-efficient electronic ballasts, explained Michael Molaro, manager of capital planning and sustainability with Facilities Management Division (FMD).
The slimmer bulbs in the new fixtures will save energy, using 56 watts each rather than 96 watts with the old equipment, and will also cause less eye strain. So there will be two-fold benefits, said Molaro, “cost savings and a healthier indoor work environment.”
In addition, about 3,000 incandescent light bulbs will be replaced with compact fluorescent bulbs, and a fluorescent retrofit of almost 700 exit signs will reduce energy consumption from 25 watts to 2.5 watts each.
“So there’s a very substantial savings there, too,” Molaro said.
Molaro hopes the retrofit project can begin this summer. The cost is estimated at $1.9 million over three years, and once the work is complete in 2010, the utility cost savings should offset expenditures in about six years.
Disposal of the old bulbs in an environmentally responsible manner is an important part of the project, since the bulbs contain traces of mercury, Molaro said. FMD is considering the use of a “bulb-eater” machine service that crushes bulbs and deals with the toxic elements.
The U of S is late among Canadian campuses to replace the old-style lighting fixtures, he added. “In some sense, our backs are against the wall to do this.” Insufficient deferred maintenance funds have prevented the division from tackling the issue campus-wide, although some areas – including the Murray Building – have already been retrofitted.
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