LED Lighting Retrofit

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2017 | Human Ecology Building

Prior to the retrofit, lighting in the Human Ecology Building was responsible for 20 per cent of the electricity consumed and often did not meet occupant needs, as some areas were over lit and others were dim. The retrofit replaced all incandescent and flourescent bulbs with LEDs. This provided an opportunity to reduce the lighting demand by nearly half, improve lighting levels and quality, and pilot a project which could be applied to a majority of the university's buildings.

Environmental Impact

  • Recycled 650 fluorescent lamps.
  • Donated 1,200 fluorescent lamps to Habitat for Humanity's ReStore.
  • Removed 253 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) ballasts and disposed of them as hazardous waste.
  • Reused all electronic ballasts and fixtures.

Innovation & Technology

  • LED bulbs allow lighting levels to be adjustable for light-sensitive textile displays.
  • Improved lighting quality for both colour and consistency.
  • Removing magnetic ballasts resulted in quieter lighting fixtures.
  • The longer life of LEDs reduced lamp replacements to half the previous frequency.

Estimated Savings

  • 42 per cent reduction in fixture electricity demand.
  • 13 per cent reduced electricity for the entire building.
  • 100 MWh per year avoided.
  • $10,000 per year in energy cost savings.
  • Reduced maintenance of magnetic ballasts as electronic ones are more reliable.