February, 2010

The Water Bureau is investing in energy-efficiency improvements and getting paid for it! Recently, bureau electricians replaced 12 inefficient fixtures on the Interstate loading dock and the covered parking area with high-efficiency fixtures. The switch will result in 8,198 kilowatt hours of energy savings annually, reducing energy use of the lights by 35%!

The bureau received an incentive from the Energy Trust of Oregon for $0.111 per kilowatt-hour saved through the upgrade, a total of $910. The cost of the project before the incentive was $2,568 and so, after the incentive, the estimated payback of the project is only 3.4 years!

The replaced fixtures were 25 years old and required frequent maintenance. Replacing the old lamps with new, efficient lamps has a long list of benefits: it saves energy, costs less to operate, costs less to maintain, gives off better light, and has a longer lifespan which reduces replacement costs.

Encouraged by the success of this retrofit project, bureau electricians plan to upgrade the Mt. Tabor and Washington Park Reservoir lighting, replace exterior and gallery lights at the groundwater pump station and the interior lights at the treatment building, and change out shop lights at Sandy River Station. All of these projects are expected to receive Energy Trust incentive payments.

All bureau ballasts and lamps are sent back to North Coast Electric. Bulbs are then sent to Arizona for recycling. Since over 70% of the city’s electricity is generated using fossil fuels, saving electricity also reduces emissions of planet-warming CO2 into the atmosphere.

The innovation and commitment of bureau electricians is paying off, literally! Thanks to their efforts, the Interstate loading dock/parking garage project will save $500 and avoid release of 3 tons of CO2 annually.