Solar Panel and New LED Fixtures = Energy Savings at TCS!
This spring, The Children's School replaced 206 old light fixtures and ballasts on the first floor, outdoors, and in the gymnasium, with energy-saving LED lights.
Here are some examples of the big impact making the switch to LED will have:
We are projected to reduce our energy usage by 71%!
Once we convert the WHOLE building, the crew projects that we will save 86,341 kWh per year. That's the carbon reduction equivalent of planting 1016 trees!
The new gym lights now go off automatically after 30 seconds of no motion in the room, and come back on automatically when someone enters the space. They also have sensors to autodim when daylight in the room is sufficient.
Phase 2 of our LED replacement plan will include replacing fixture on the 2nd and 3rd floors, and will hopefully be completed next year by Spring Break.
Classroom feedback is positive! The increased brightness of the LEDs seems pleasant rather than overpowering. We're also envisioning all sorts of freeze-tag games one might play with the motion sensor gym lights.
Additionally, we have a solar panel on the roof that needed reactivation. The 1kw solar array is similar to the one we originally installed in our previous Berwyn facility. The panel and tech support are provided by the Illinois Solar Schools Program as an educational tool.
The best part is that students, or anyone, can watch our panel at work by viewing its energy collection in real time online here by clicking "Show Solar Data" when you get to our school's page (it's still referred to as "St. Edmund's" in some sections). Data can be tracked by day and time.
We're always on the lookout for new ideas to help keep our school environmentally friendly!
