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Summer lighting project spruces up schools, saves taxpayer money
Brilliant!
More attractive schools, more natural lighting to read by, and savings for Durham County taxpayers? That’s a win-win-win thanks to Durham Public Schools’s summer LED lighting project.
DPS started the school year with more than 20,000 new LED lights in 14 campuses. The project will pay for itself in roughly six years through energy savings alone.
“DPS has installed the most technologically advanced, energy efficient lighting available,” said Brian Callaway, DPS coordinator of energy and sustainability. “In addition to the clean, natural light from LEDs, the new lights communicate wirelessly with each other to allow dimming in every classroom.”
One of the schools to receive exceptional lighting improvements over the summer was Lakewood Elementary, whose formerly dimly fluorescent halls and classrooms have come alive.
“When I visited the school in May, the hallways seemed very dim,” said new principal James Hopkins. “After the lights were installed over the summer, each hallway felt brand new. It’s almost as if the LED lights give off a sense of positive energy, and the students and faculty are feeding off of that energy!”
“We aren’t just saving on the electric bill; we’re transforming the learning environment,” said Callaway. “Students, families and staff will notice that the lighting in these schools sets a welcoming and nurturing tone. I believe the new lights will help improve student performance and attract families back to DPS.”
Along with Lakewood, the following schools saw substantial lighting improvements: Bethesda Elementary, Carrington Middle, Githens Middle, Hillandale Elementary and Hillside High. Eight other schools received major upgrades: Burton Elementary, Club Blvd. Elementary, Creekside Elementary, R.N. Harris Elementary, Hope Valley Elementary, Morehead Elementary, Parkwood Elementary and Rogers-Herr Middle.
How DPS saved money
Thanks to an energy efficiency incentive program from Duke Energy and the funding made available by Durham citizens through the 2016 school bond referendum, DPS was able to purchase the fixtures at a fraction of their cost and expand the scope of the project from six initially proposed schools to 14.
“We’re proud of our long-standing partnership with Durham Public Schools and helping with their efforts to champion energy efficiency,” said Kim Ellis, Duke Energy Large Business Account Manager. “Energy efficient products like LEDs offer great benefits to local communities and help customers save energy and money.”
The Duke Energy incentive paid $1.39 million of the cost of the lighting upgrades, leaving DPS to spend $1.4 million in bond funds. DPS will save at least $200,000 in energy costs each year. (Bond funds can only be spent on capital improvements such as the lighting upgrades, but the resulting savings on utility spending come back to our day-to-day operational budget.)
The LED lighting upgrades are just a part of the $90 million bond Durham County voters overwhelmingly approved in November 2016. Other bond projects will include the replacement of the Northern High campus, renovation of Eno Valley Elementary, system-wide security and safety upgrades, roofing and HVAC upgrades, renovations and repairs to high school athletic facilities and other improvements.