De-Lamping in the Sea Grant Suite

The University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program occupies a suite of offices on the 2nd floor of the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics (HIG), and is part of the University of Hawaii School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST). Among other things, Sea Grant houses the Center for Smart Building and Community Design. Because Sea Grant's mission is especially sensitive to the impact that the built environment has on ocean and terrestrial ecosystems, the Sea Grant program has been a leader on campus in the fight to reduce the UH Manoa energy bill and build a more sustainable university campus.

Sea Grant is lit almost exclusively by assemblies of T-12 fluorescent bulbs supported by conventional magnetic ballasts. More efficient lighting could be obtained by changing out the bulbs and ballasts with T-8 bulbs and electronic ballasts. However, such a retrofit is not immediately possible at this time. However, the program's staff have taken steps to reduce the amount of lighting in their offices and thus reduce Sea Grant's burden on the University electricity bill. This is what has been done so far:

• Computers: a complete audit of all computer equipment in Sea Grant. All computers and printers that were not already on power strips have been connected to them, and all power strips are turned off at night. Precise calculations showing the amount of energy saved have not yet been completed, but the amount of stand-by power being drawn has dropped by at least $100 a year.
• T-12 Delamping in Office Spaces: a total of 156 34 watt T-12 bulbs have been removed from their fixtures. The light levels have been reduced, but are now more comfortable for our staff and make computer screens easier to look at. Assuming these bulbs were on 8 hours per day, 5 days per week, 48 weeks per year, their removal constitutes a savings of $2,118 per year.
• T-12 Delamping in Storage Spaces: a total of 46 bulbs were removed from storage areas where the lights cannot be turned off...ever. This is now saving another $2,229 a year.

Because the fixtures have not been permanently disabled, the project does not qualify for a HECO reimbursement. However, this isn't the point. Sea Grant is now saving in excess of $4,500 a year at no cost to itself, the University, or the well-being of the staff.

More projects are planned with the air conditioning. Watch this space for further developments.