Feb 11 2008
Lime Energy announced today the completion of the first phase of an energy efficiency retrofit of a major airline's maintenance hangar at San Francisco International Airport. The project involved replacing nearly 500 lighting fixtures in offices and work areas as part of a comprehensive lighting upgrade that will save operating costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
This project utilized strategically located sensors and daylight harvesting that will automatically turn lights off when the space is not in use or when there is enough sunlight to provide adequate natural lighting. Sensors are particularly important in this application because of the variable nature of the maintenance work performed in the hangar.
The total project cost of this first phase will be completely paid back in 2.1 years from savings in the electricity bill and avoided maintenance costs which translates into a first year return on investment (ROI) of 48%. In addition to the financial return, this initial project also eliminates the following estimate of greenhouse gas emissions:
- 650 thousand pounds of Carbon Dioxide - the leading cause of Global Warming
- 8,000 pounds of Sulfur Dioxide - the leading cause of Acid Rain
- 2,800 pounds of Nitric Dioxide - the leading cause of Smog and Acid Precipitation
- 263 thousand pounds of Coal Not Burned per Year, equivalent to 56 passenger cars removed from the road this year.
"This project shows our broad capabilities in the design, engineering and installation of energy efficient lighting systems," stated Dom Walterspiel, Senior Account Executive with Lime Energy. "We completed this project on time, within budget, and without disrupting the customer's business. Beyond that, we executed a complicated project where we had to be aware of light levels, voltage, fixture efficiency, plus sensor positioning and layout." Mr. Walterspiel concluded by stating, "with this retrofit, our customer has a new room-by-room inventory list of the new fixtures and their energy use which will help optimize their maintenance and enforce warranties. These types of 'smart maintenance' steps are all part of continuous improvement initiatives that Lime Energy is leading with customers across the country."