AARFP Switch Article

GREEN TECHNOLOGY
A Calgary School Becomes
a Leader in its Commitment
to Greener Lighting
An age-old adage reminds us that the hardest thing about
change is taking the action forward. This was the case as
Calgary's West Island College looked with interest at
changing their traditional lighting system in the school to an
advanced, greener one.
Once the process of investigation began, the Head of
School, Carol Grant-Watt, and the Director of Facilities and
Grounds, Larry Magnusson, realized the pluses far
outweighed any negatives. They were amazed by the new
innovations in lighting. Advanced plasma lighting is a
significant game-changer when it comes to lighting large
venues with high ceilings. It provides a full-spectrum, high
quality light that closely resembles sunlight or the natural
light spectrum. Plasma lights have a 50,000 hour lifespan.
That translates to power for 6 years running 24/7. Changing
high-ceiling bulbs is a costly and challenging part of
maintenance. After completing an energy audit at the
school, they were keen to begin work on the gymnasium.
Installing plasma lights would definitely reduce their overall
energy consumption, maintenance costs and make it a
brighter space.
operations budget and not their capital budget? The
solution was found in creative financing:
The power reduction with the new lighting system
allowed financial savings to pay for the lights
The entire school conversion reduced the lighting
power consumption by two-thirds
In the gymnasium, the amount of light was doubled,
with a far superior full-light spectrum while
reducing the power costs by 25%
$175 is saved every day on the school's power bill.
Throughout the lifetime of the new lights, the
overall savings will be close to $800,000
Return on investment (payback) is just over 4 years
A light bulb change, with ensuing maintenance
costs, will not be needed for 10 years
West Island College completed the retrofit during the
summer, before the students returned. As a result of the
improved lighting in the school, the changes are significant
and noticed by everyone:
In the classrooms, labs and library, retrofitting with energy
efficient Light Emitting Diode tubes would make a big
difference in the environmental footprint. LED lighting is
more efficient at converting electricity into light than either
incandescent or fluorescent lighting. Due to the directional
feature of an LED chip, there is virtually no wasted light
within the fixture or the surrounding environment. With
exceptionally long lifespans of 50,000+ hours, they are ideal
in areas that have frequent on/off cycling. In addition, they
provide immediate brightness and can be dimmed without
losing color quality.
The change in lighting made complete sense to the School
Administration and the Board of Directors but there was a
serious question to be addressed before they moved ahead.
How could they fund the project from their existing
LEISURE LINES • AARFP
There is a daylight feel in every classroom because
of the natural spectrum that is replicated
There is enhanced clarity and sharpness of vision
due to the increase in the number of emitted
wavelengths within the visible light spectrum.
Because there is no hum or flicker from old
ballasts in the new lighting system, there is a
healthier and more stimulating learning
environment and it contributes to the well-being
of students and staff alike.
The school has a newer and cleaner look because of
the lights
Total Lifetime CO2 Reduction estimation at the
school = 3,630.82 Tonnes
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WINTER ISSUE • DECEMBER 2014
GREEN TECHNOLOGY – GREENER LIGHTING...
West Island College is a leader among schools in its
commitment to be greener and more efficient. “The led and
plasma lighting project has improved our classroom teaching
and learning abilities as well as enhanced our lighting
throughout the facilities. Additional benefits are the
reductions in our utility bills and environmental footprint,”
says Magnusson about the changes at WIC. The lesson we
can learn from this school is to audit our electrical
consumption, take a long, hard look at our report card and
embrace change that will make a significant difference.
Written by Sally Walls
BEFORE
AFTER
For more information on advanced lighting systems, contact
Brian Thompson at 403.828.5158.
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WINTER ISSUE • DECEMBER 2014