Apr 3 2008
Lime Energy today announced that it has recently completed a energy efficient lighting retrofit project at the Uni-Select warehouse in Auburn, Washington. The project involved replacing metal halide lighting with high-output fluorescent fixtures that use 50% less energy. The total estimated energy savings amounts to a permanent reduction of 375,518 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year which equates to providing these estimated annual environmental benefits:
- 675,932 fewer pounds of Carbon Dioxide - the leading cause of Global Warming
- 8,583 fewer pounds of Sulfur Dioxide - the leading cause of Acid Rain
- 2,889 fewer pounds of Nitrogen Dioxide - the leading cause of Smog and Acid Precipitation
- 59 passenger cars removed from the road this year.
"The project went very well with no disruption to our daily production, and the light levels have greatly improved over our previous lighting system," said Gayle Moeller, Operations Manager of the Uni-Select Northwest Division. "The new lighting system is significantly brighter and we have improved the order accuracy in our warehouse operation to nearly 100%," according to Ms. Moeller. "The project made financial sense due to the energy cost savings and the $79,000 grant from Puget Sound Energy; however, factoring in the increased efficiency and the reduced cost of re-work means this project's rate of return is calculating at a rate that is exponential rather than linear."
"This installation is an example of how energy efficiency is not only a good investment and good for the environment, but can also provide significant ancillary benefits due to improvements in the quality of lighting," said Andy Gerde, Northwest Account Executive of Lime Energy. "Businesses in America are being asked by their customers and the public to take steps to 'go green'. We applaud the decisions made by Uni-Select and the local utility, Puget Sound Energy, that made this successful project happen," concluded Mr. Gerde.