Beth Weiner
Contributing Writer
2015 promises to be an illuminating year at North Central College and very de-“light”-ful as one might say.
The White Activities Center and Res/Rec Arena are now home to brand new LED lights. The North Central College Sustainability Office, with the help of a grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation and the Energy Efficiency Lighting Upgrade Program, obtained these lights.
The new LEDs went in the week before the start of winter term and replaced metal fixtures in Res/Rec, as well as the giant chandelier in upper WAC that everyone at NCC was so fond of. LED stands for Light Emitting Diode and these bulbs last longer and use less energy than traditional lighting. Additionally, the new lights in WAC are a modern looking upgrade from the chandeliers that have been in WAC banquet hall, dining and fireside lounge for many years. The new energy efficient fixtures are in keeping with the College’s dedication to sustainability and energy efficiency.
Res/Rec and WAC are both places on campus where there was a great opportunity to try the new kind of lighting. In WAC, the old chandeliers were outdated, dark and provided spotty lighting, so an upgrade was already necessary.
“We saw how much energy and money we were saving in Merner Fieldhouse [with the new lights],” said sustainability coordinator Brittany Graham, “and saw that in Res/Rec we could save even more.” According to Graham, there is a huge opportunity in Res/Rec for money and energy savings.
Graham tracks the energy savings from the new lights through a program on her computer and consistently tracks the college’s lighting and utilities expenditures. She estimated that in WAC alone, the College will save 25,000 KWH (kilowatt hours) and $3,000 per year. In the Res/Rec arena, she projected savings of more than 420,000 KWH and $34,000 per year.
So how do the lights work? The lights in Res/Rec are set on a schedule. During certain hours they automatically dim or brighten. Additionally, the event staff at Res/Rec sends information on events to Graham’s office and then the lights are then set to a schedule according to when they are needed.
Yet, fear not if you use Res/Rec regularly because you won’t have to do so in the dark. The lights are motion activated so that, when you walk, the lights around you will turn on. The lights are also set up in zones according to the area of Res/Rec that they are located. For example, the lights for the basketball courts can be on and the track lights can be off if there are people using the basketball courts but not the track. Of course, Lydia Pond, Coordinator of Recreation, Assistant Athletic Facilities and Events Manager, can override the lighting system if for some reason an event goes long or is cancelled and extra lighting is needed.
A bonus? Not only do LED lights save on lighting costs, but they cost a lot less to maintain because they last longer and do not need to be changed frequently.
“These lights will be here longer than I will be!” said Graham. “And maintenance will be able to work on other projects with the time they save.”
