A manufacturer of printed circuit boards and other electronics, will reduce energy lighting costs by 40 percent, or $50,000 in annual costs, thanks to an installation of LED lighting at its facilities, one of the largest installations of manufacturing space in New England.
Employees at Norwell, Mass-based Bluestone Energy, a division of OpTerra Energy Group, spent 3,000 hours retrofitting the Mack Technologies 108,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Wesford, Mass., which will help Mack meet its sustainability goals, improve lighting for employees and save on costs associated with running the facility. Bluestone replaced 2,600 T-8 fluorescent bulbs with high efficiency Lithonia LED fixtures in the space and replaced several hundred older bulbs with high-performance T-8 bulbs in the company's offices.
While Mack says the decision to retrofit the facility was based on corporate social responsibility, it also will gain more than $130,000 in tax credits and utility incentives provided by National Grid and get a two-year payback for all invested capital.
The installation is the largest of any manufacturing facility in New England, according to Bluestone, which came to that distinction based on its work with National Grid and other utilities throughout the region.
"Concerns about initial cost, relative youth of the industry, and LED illumination characteristics made some manufacturers cautious about conversion," said Paul Maher, facilities manager at Mack Technologies. "Our decision to move forward was based on a careful assessment of LED lighting quality and cost, as well as our desire to be a leader in corporate social responsibility."
The effort towards sustainability will not end with this installation, according to Mack, which plans to collaborate with Bluestone to continue its energy consumption with future projects.
