The One-Stop Efficiency Shop lights the way for the Scandia Fire Department
Mike Hinz, chief of Scandia Fire & Rescue in Scandia, Minnesota, struggled with frequent fluorescent bulb and ballast burnouts at his station. Twenty-six-foot ceilings made maintenance difficult, and lighting quality was poor overall. Mike had previously worked with the One-Stop Efficiency Shop on a lighting upgrade project while president of a plastic manufacturing company, so he knew who to call to solve this problem.
Facility Assessment
Mike needed lights that would be longer lasting, easier to maintain, and brighter, but he didn’t know what type of equipment would be right for the station. He reached out to the One-Stop lighting consultant who helped him navigate his past lighting project. After performing a free lighting assessment, his lighting consultant created a customized report with recommendations, estimated payback periods, energy savings, and rebates to help Mike make the best decision.
Problems
- Frequent fluorescent bulb and ballast burnouts
- Poor lighting quality
- Difficult to maintain lighting with 26’ ceilings
LEDs have dramatically improved lighting quality with half as many bulbs, and maintenance costs have dropped to near zero for us.
Improvements
With guidance from his lighting consultant, Mike replaced the 8’ industrial strips in the garage with LED tubes and the 4’ lamps in common areas with LEDs. Because LEDs are brighter and more efficient, his lighting consultant suggested not replacing all the lamps. The higher performing LEDs did not require a one-for-one lamp replacement, so Mike was able to reduce costs by avoiding a full retrofit. Fixtures on the station’s exterior were replaced with LED wall packs to provide a uniform look. These upgrades dramatically improved the station’s lighting quality with half as many bulbs, provided quieter spaces free of fluorescent buzzing, and reduced Mike’s maintenance costs to almost zero.
Results
- Reduced maintenance and energy costs
- Improved lighting quality and decreased number of lamps and bulbs
- Eliminated buzzing caused by fluorescent lights
Rebates and Savings
$4,347 in annual savings
32,146 kWh saved
$3,469 rebate
3.5 year payback period
Center for Energy and Environment’s (CEE) One-Stop Efficiency Shop®, sponsored by Xcel Energy, offers free lighting consulting and rebates to help businesses save energy and reduce operating costs through lighting upgrades.