Spectrum Health officials say they are saving $170,000 a year by changing the 1,500 light fixtures in their parking decks to LED.
The new fixtures, installed during the past three months, light up more than 3,500 parking spaces over 1.25 million square feet in the parking ramps Spectrum operates near its downtown campus.
The new fixtures give a brighter light and save money, according to Spectrum Health officials
Besides saving money, the new GE Lighting fixtures also give off a better glow, said Tom Theoret, director of facilities for Spectrum Health.
"It's important that everyone feels welcome and secure while at our facilities. GE Lighting's LED fixtures not only met this requirement but also reduced our energy consumption and reduced burdensome maintenance."
While each of the old high pressure sodium fixtures gave off a yellowish light while consuming 175 watts of electricity, the new fixtures give off a brighter whiter light while consuming only 60 watts, said David Feurstein, an electrical engineer with Spectrum.
While Spectrum spent about $700,000 to purchase the fixtures and another $100,000 to install them, they expect to get a $215,000 rebate from Consumers Energy, Theoret said.
Spectrum also expects the fixtures to last an average of seven years, reducing their replacement costs, he said.
While early LED fixtures were not favored for public lighting because of their directional light beams, the new fixtures have lenses that reduce the glare, Theoret said. Replacing the new fixtures also will be relatively easy, he said.
