Tri-State takes the LE(a)D in energy efficient lighting

The parking lot before the LED lighting installation.

Tri-State recently put its long-standing commitment to energy efficiency in action when it installed cutting-edge LED lighting technology in the parking lot of its headquarters facility in the north Denver suburb of Westminster.

The parking lot’s extreme makeover consisted of replacing all 34 of the existing 400-watt metal halide lights with 153-watt LED – or light emitting diode – bulbs.  The new lighting will reduce the energy load by two-thirds with an anticipated payback of less than nine years.  Tri-State is recognized as the first company in the Rocky Mountain region to institute this type of lighting technology on this scale.

Tri-State senior engineer Mike McCoy said that a large portion of the payback calculation is based on the longevity of the new lights.  “The fixtures have a projected 50,000-hour lifespan,” he explained, “with cost savings stemming not only from less equipment purchased, but also from the elimination of ballasts and labor to change out the lights more frequently.”  Tri-State also was eligible for more than $4,000 worth of rebates, which further offset its total investment.

Not only is the power company setting a great example of how to use energy more efficiently, but in doing so, it’s also using it more effectively – which is obvious when comparing before and after nighttime photos of the parking lot.

The parking lot after the LED lighting installation.

“It’s like night and day – almost literally,” McCoy said.  “The new LED lighting is a huge improvement over the standard technology in terms brightness and illuminating the space, so much so that we’re also installing more and more energy-saving lighting throughout the interior of our facilities as part of a five-year pilot research program.”

Both the exterior and interior LED installations are serving as demonstration areas for Tri-State’s member electric co-ops, other utilities and business owners who may be interested in instituting similar technology at their facilities.

“Simply put, we see these projects as an example of what one company is doing to increase its efficiency, decrease its energy consumption, protect the environment and save money during these tough economic times,” McCoy said.

Updated: May 6, 2009