LED Lighting for Educational Facilities: Schools and Universities

Educational facilities are not unlike small cities, each with a diverse population, varying needs, and different interests. LED lighting is one of the few areas where all of those interests can align. From a facility management perspective, LED lighting offers reduced lighting energy and maintenance costs.

There are many benefits of LED lighting in schools. LED lighting provides a drastic reduction in energy costs due to the significant difference in the way LEDs generate light compared to conventional lighting. Facilities that make the switch to LED see lighting energy reductions of 40-60%, making achieving a return on investment within two to five years realistic. Think of it this way, if a new student starts at the same time as your lighting project, it should pay for itself before he or she graduates.

Another one of the primary benefits of replacing conventional lighting with LED lighting is reduced maintenance costs. An LED bulb will continue to generate light at a level equal to 70% or more of its original lumen output for more than 50,000 hours, and in many cases, over 100,000 hours. Since LED lighting fixtures and lamps have significantly longer lifetimes than traditional lighting, building management will spend less time on a ladder, lift, or bucket truck changing bulbs and ballasts and more time addressing other pressing needs. In other words, forget graduation, that same student who walked under your new LED lighting as a freshman could walk under that same lamp or fixture when they come back for the 10 year reunion!

In a recent LED retrofit project , a university was looking for a comprehensive turnkey solution to reduce energy costs and improve light levels for the exterior lighting throughout the entire campus. 306 total fixtures were replaced, and the lighting energy was reduced by 63%. With an annual maintenance cost reduction of over $20,000 and sizable rebate eligibility. it’s not hard to see why this was a sound investment for the university. The image below shows the improved visibility and safety the LED lighting retrofit provided.

Schools and universities today face plenty of challenges, the quality and cost of your lighting system doesn’t have to be one of them. Whether it’s because LED lighting is eco-friendly, cost saving, or purely aesthetic, the reasons are many, and the time is now to consider an LED lighting solution at your school.

Please visit our Lighting Education page see how LED lighting can help with your existing applications.

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