Warehouse light before the upgrade Warehouse lights after the upgrade
We know warehouse lighting upgrade doesn’t sound terribly exciting or even like it could make a huge difference in our sustainability practices here at the Zoo. But it’s made a huge different to both the Zoo and its staff!
The Zoo installed Ciralights in the warehouse, which are essentially skylights on steroids. These special skylights use a mirror panel to capture the maximum amount of sunlight before channeling a diffuser panel. The mirror is powered by a GPS-enable motor, so it tracks the sun throughout the day, making sure the maximum amount of light gets through and into the warehouse. So, not only does the Zoo benefit from reduced energy and maintenance costs (and reduced cooling loads!), but the Zoo’s warehouse staff gets all of the benefits of natural light (including increased productivity!).
This upgrade will save the Zoo about $11,000 a year on its energy bills and the return on investment will pay for itself in just two years. Even better, American Electric Power was offering incentives for businesses to install more sustainable lighting – and the Zoo qualified for a rebate!
To put the environmental impact of this project into perspective, check out these numbers:
- The Zoo will reduce its annual carbon emissions by 220,605 pounds!
- We’ll reduce our annual sulfur dioxide emissions by 866 pounds.
- Our annual nitrogen dioxide emissions will be reduced by 425 pounds.
- Reduced energy use means 47 tons of coal won’t need to be burned.
- We’ll avoid 2,227 Mg of mercury contamination in the atmosphere.
- The reduced pollution will be like we planted 27 acres of forest or took 19 cars of the road!