The Southern Illinois/Indiana Property Management Service Center (Center), which operates 17 Federal buildings and oversees 230 Federal lease locations, has played a major innovative role in the energy efficiency initiatives of the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Great Lakes Region (Region). Since lighting accounts for about 40 percent of a building’s energy use, the Center was examining the relamping of its buildings. Only one manufacturer had a 25-watt, 41K bulb that was a direct replacement for a 32- watt four-foot fluorescent bulb. Since installing more than 20,000 of the 25- watt bulbs, the Center has received both tenant compliments and energy savings.
It was then decided to replace existing flag pole and exterior building signage lights (150-watt average) with 13-watt LED (Light-emitting diode) fixtures at most locations in the Center. At the Peoria and Carbondale Federal Buildings, we also completed replacements of exterior building accent lights (150-watt halogens) with 32-watt LED light fixtures and both parking lot and exterior building security lights (250 watts each) with 32-watt LED fixtures. We doubled the number of parking lot fixtures, creating more light than ever before while dramatically lowering energy consumption.
Finally, the Center upgraded outdated stairwell lights with unique motion sensor controlled fixtures that provide safe and dependable illumination while conserving energy. These new slim-line lights replace old fixtures that protruded from the wall three times as much. The new fixtures are UL-listed and available in a variety of standby and sensor modes for optimal energy savings.
Similarly, the Center has participated in the Region’s traditional lighting efficiency efforts, which include:
- retrofitting light fixtures with reflectors and lower-wattage (32 watt) bulbs throughout office spaces, mechanical areas, and stairwells;
- installing motion sensors in restrooms, conference rooms, storage areas and other areas of infrequent use;
- using automatic controls to turn off building lights after work hours and on weekends;
- replacing traditional exit signs with ones lit with high efficiency LED lamps; and
- installing ‘electrical misers’ on refrigerated vending machines to reduce their energy consumption by 50 percent.
The fluorescent bulb replacement has a very short two-year payback, giving the Center a total 13 percent reduction in lighting energy usage and a $30,600 per year cost savings. After we shared the technology with our lessors, they applied it to our leased buildings and gave very positive feedback. The exterior lighting LED bulbs have a full replacement warranty of three years and a life cycle of 10 years, or twice the life of the replaced bulbs. The LED bulbs have reduced energy usage by 85 percent for these fixtures, while the stairwell motion sensor lighting has reduced energy usage for these fixtures by 70 percent. The results have been measurable energy savings, improved tenant satisfaction, and meeting the Presidential mandate for GSA to reduce energy use and take the lead in energy conservation in commercial buildings. The Presidential mandate (Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA)) requiring Federal agencies to reduce energy consumption per square foot of their buildings by three percent each year, or 30 percent by 2015 compared to 2003 energy intensity levels, is a challenge that this GSA initiative is helping to meet.
Contact:
Chris Fleming
Supervisory Property Manager
Public Buildings Service
Great Lakes Region
U.S. General Services
Administration
chris.fleming@gsa.gov
