A Guiding Light To Cost Cutting.

As school administrators face tighter and tighter budgets, they are challenged to cut the fat without cutting too much muscle in the process. What many may not realize, however, is the amount of fat that is installed in their schools' classroom ceilings.

Unless the school building is relatively new--say, less than five years old--chances are the lighting used there is costing more than it should. Administrators are not necessarily getting "more bang for their bucks," either. Out-of-date lighting creates the double whammy of being inefficient and costly.

Case in Point

The Cambridge Elementary School in Cambridge, Wis., offers an example of how better lighting can improve a school's environment while also saving money. The school building's old lighting system was made up entirely of incandescent luminaires (fixtures) and lamps (bulbs or tubes). While incandescent lamps generally produce a warm light that people enjoy, they are the least efficient of all lamp types.

The school district's buildings and grounds manager decided the elementary school needed a new lighting system, if only to save money on electrical bills. The incandescent system was using 233,420 kilowatt hours annually at a cost of $15,000 per year. Added operating and maintenance costs brought the annual total up to $25,362.

The new lighting system consisted of 344 fluorescent fixtures in the classrooms, hallways, and industrial arts areas of the school, and 12 mercury vapor luminaires for the gymnasium. The total cost of the new system was $16,505 for luminaires, lamps, and labor.

Most school administrators would balk at having to scrape up that kind of investment in today's economic environment, but Cambridge's new system lowered its yearly operating and maintenance costs to only $5,209, for a savings of $20,153 and a simple payback of less than 10 months. Naturally, these savings continue year after year.

More important than the actual savings, however, were the other benefits of the improved lighting system.

With the old lighting system, the hallways, classrooms, and industrial arts areas tended to be dingy and dark. The new system created a lighter, brighter atmosphere for student learning and eliminated what was a growing risk in the industrial arts rooms, given the types of power tools used there.

A Few Steps

Despite the quick return on investment that enhanced electric illumination can provide, many schools just do not have the dollars to invest in new lighting. They still can take many actions to improve lighting and save money without a significant investment.

* Lamps: Manufacturers have developed a wide array of energy-efficient lamps that can be installed into existing luminaires with little trouble.

For example, compact fluorescent lamps can provide the same amount of light as an incandescent for a fraction of the cost. Mercury vapor lamps, most often used outside or in large areas such as a gym, can be replaced with metal halide or high-pressure sodium for reduced watts and dollar savings.

* Ballasts: Because ballasts tend to have a long life, many older, inefficient models still work in the nation's schools. Replacing these with advanced electromagnetic or electronic ballasts can save energy with a modest investment that can last as many as 20 to 25 years.

* Maintenance: Even without making changes in the actual lighting system, school officials can change certain practices to save money right away. These have to do with maintenance, a much misunderstood yet costly facet of a lighting system.

Consider replacing lamps by a system called group relamping. This system keeps light levels high and ends the practice of pulling out equipment, materials, and manpower for each lamp that burns out. Also, cleaning lamps and luminaires regularly keeps light levels at optimum by removing dust and dirt buildup at periodic intervals.

The possibilities for saving money thanks to better lighting in schools are great, and only a few major points have been discussed here.

The National Lighting Bureau publishes booklets written in nontechnical language. A directory of pubilcations is available by contacting the organization at 2101 L St., N.W, Suite 300, Washington, D.C. 20037, or by calling 202-457-8437.