Energy Efficiency, Regulation  -  October 16, 2017

Howard University completes LED lighting overhaul

Howard University recently completed an exterior LED retrofit project that is expected to reduce the amount of energy used for lighting by more than 50% while also improving light output levels.  

The university expects to generate more than $10.5 million in lifetime cost savings from recent energy upgrades that include the LED retrofit. 

The project, which replaced lighting in areas such as walkway paths and parking lots across the university's campus, is expected not only to increase efficiency and lower lighting expenses but also improve safety. The 150-year old university said in a news release that the lighting upgrades came amid a broader effort to reduce energy costs, beautify the campus and reduce its overall footprint. 

"LED lighting will allow Howard University to maximize our energy efficiency goals and provide superior light quality for our students and faculty," Alfonzye Chisholm, director of sustainability for facilities management at Howard, said in a statement. "This project will allow Howard an opportunity to continue to drive a culture of sustainability and most importantly create an environment that enhances our commitment to campus safety for the University's primary stakeholders — our students, faculty, staff and alumni." 

Funding from the District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility, a city Department of Energy and Environment organization that works to help residents and businesses use less energy, helped support the project. The university and the DCSEU's relationship goes back five years and has led to the implementation of several projects to reduce gas and electricity consumption within a number of buildings on campus that have, in total, resulted in more than $10.5 million in lifetime cost savings, according to the release. 

The university partnered with GB Energie LED on the retrofit project, which worked with Howard and the DCSEU to identify poorly or dimly lit areas of campus where safety could be improved with lighting. 

"As stewards of this historic institution, we continuously evaluate our operational efficiencies," Howard University Executive Vice President and COO Tashni Dubroy said. "I am pleased that our five-year collaboration with the DCSEU has resulted in improved campus safety and energy efficiency through improvements in energy utilization and installment of cost-efficient lighting that will ultimately improve the campus experience for our students, faculty and staff."

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the total savings from the LED retrofit project; the savings are being generated from the LED project and prior energy upgrades completed with help from the DCSEU.  

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