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LEDs Shine For Cost Savings At Grand Traverse County Civic Center Walking Track

PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. -- Cooper Lighting of Peachtree City, Ga. said its LED lighting has been installed in 100 outdoor fixtures at the Grand Traverse County Civic Center, improving illumination on a mile-long outdoor walking and jogging track and reducing annual energy costs by up to $7,000.

Tasked with the difficult challenge of improving overall energy usage while maintaining proper illumination, reducing glare and limiting light pollution, Danny Brown, Director, Grand Traverse County Facilities, worked alongside Cooper Lighting to develop a solution. After reviewing photometrics, analyzing paybacks and evaluating several products, Brown settled on Lumark RV Ridgeview LED Area Luminaires from Cooper Lighting as a one-for-one replacement.

Using existing grants, these new fixtures were able to replace all 100 of the Civic Center's outdated 250-watt High Pressure Sodium fixtures to not only improve illumination, but also save the county money.

"After assessing the many benefits associated with LED lighting, we quickly realized that it would be good for both the Civic Center and our wallets to upgrade," said Brown. "Working with Cooper Lighting, we were able to utilize the latest in LED technology to significantly reduce our overall energy consumption from 300 totals watts a fixture to just 51 total watts a fixture. The new fixtures will also provide visual comfort for those using the track and also in the surrounding neighborhoods. This project really has truly put us in a win-win scenario and, although it's only partially completed, has already begun to receive overwhelmingly positive reviews."

Ideal for end-users looking to improve illumination and decrease energy and maintenance costs, the Lumark Ridgeview LED luminaires offer a compact, efficient and economical approach to LED lighting that combines a low-profile design with excellent operating performance. For uniform and energy conscious illumination, Ridgeview LED fixtures include scalable IP66 rated LightBAR technology with patented AccuLED Optics allowing for an energy savings between 30-70 percent over standard systems. Additional benefits include a warm white light of 4000K correlated color temperature that won't sacrifice lumen output; 50,000-plus-hour rated life, six times longer than traditional metal halide sources; and durable die-cast aluminum construction.

Grand Traverse County funded the project in large part to a $45,000 Advanced Lighting Technology Demonstration Grant from the State of Michigan Energy Office. The grant was awarded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as the federal stimulus, for projects that create and retain jobs, save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Funding was awarded to local units of government that were willing to demonstrate the benefits of advanced commercial lighting technologies in their facilities.

More at www.cooperlighting.com.

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