Bright lights, big savings in City of Lenoir facilities

LENOIR, NC (November 13, 2020) — City Building Maintenance staff have spent the last few months installing more than 900 new, LED lights in several City facilities. The LED lights are brighter, more energy efficient, and they are already returning savings.

Public Works Director Jared Wright said the lighting upgrade was a project waiting for the right time and the right price.

“Earlier this year, we were buying new lights for a couple parks, so we decided to check on prices and possible incentives,” Wright said.

One of the City’s lighting suppliers reported that Duke Energy had some good incentives for LED upgrades. Building Maintenance Supervisor Mike Engstrom suggested updating the fixtures at Public Works headquarters as a test run. City of Lenoir Building Maintenance staff installed the new LED lights at Public Works, and the change was impressive.

“The new lights give the facility a complete facelift,” Wright said. “The quality of light is much better than even the T5 fluorescents we replaced. The fixtures offer two color settings and three brightness settings, so staff has some options for their offices. And, the energy savings are awesome.”

Public Works saved 30% on its most recent power bill. The new lights also come with a five-year warranty.

After upgrading Public Works, the City Manager approved upgrading City Hall, Fire Station 1, and Fire Station 2. The total cost of the lights before incentives from Duke Energy was $65,706. After incentives, the City of Lenoir paid $5,949 for 905 LED lights, which is about $6.57 per light.

“I am really pleased with the upgrades and the cost savings so far, and I’m glad we were able to perform all the work in-house” Wright said. “It’s definitely been a good project for the City.”