As classes resume this spring, you will see some big changes in the lighting in four campus buildings.
As part of a comprehensive energy conservation project, work is under way in the Jane and David Bailey Education Complex; the Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Building (HPER); the Student Services Building; and the Communications Building.
Old fixtures are being replaced with energy-efficient lights, manual switches are being replaced with on-off sensors, and other upgrades are being done. In some of the public areas of the buildings, “daylight harvesting” sensors cue the lights to remain off when sunlight is bright enough to light the area.
The work, which also includes some sprinkler system upgrades and ceiling work, will cost $2.25 million, funded by monies provided by the state during stimulus years. The new lights will save the campus as much as $500,000 a year. The campus’s utility bill runs about $20 million a year.
“Any dollars we can save is money we can put back into the classroom,” said Dave Irvin, associate vice chancellor for facilities services.
Elsewhere on campus, new construction is equipped with energy-efficient lighting. Buildings slated for major renovations will get the lighting overhaul as part of that work. Eventually, the whole campus will have the more energy-efficient lights.