Christian Life Fellowship
Lighting upgrade revives 30-year-old Christian Life Fellowship building
The recent installation of energy-efficient lighting at the Christian Life Fellowship building in Campbell River is drawing rave reviews in a building where inadequate lighting was so poor it had induced headaches.
What’s more, the upgrade – characterized as introducing a light quality close to that of daylight – will save the organization $2,600 each year.
"The new lighting is much more energy efficient, so we’re saving on electricity costs,” says Tony Teufel, administrative assistant. “More important, everybody really appreciates the improvement in lighting quality. It’s just awesome.”
The challenge: modernize a lighting system at an affordable cost
The Christian Life Fellowship is housed in a 40,000-square-foot building that encompasses a chapel, offices, daycare classrooms and a gymnasium. All of the original lighting was in place, and it was no longer adequate.
“We wanted to reduce our carbon footprint, because a building this size makes a difference,” says Teufel. “Plus we wanted to improve the poor lighting quality, to make this a more comfortable place to be in. Some people were actually getting headaches from the inadequate lighting.”
When a BC Hydro bill came in with information about Power Smart programs, Teufel contacted his BC Hydro rep and found out about the Product Incentive Program, which provides incentives for the installation of a wide range of energy efficient technologies. The BC Hydro rep went over the premises with Teufel and recommended an energy-efficient lighting retrofit for the entire building. A Power Smart incentive of $2,550 would help offset the cost and make the project affordable.
Teufel took the proposal to the Christian Life Fellowship board. After considering the problems with the old lighting and the benefits of an upgrade, the board approved the project. The Fellowship and their local lighting contractor then worked to upgrade the lighting room by room.
The retrofit involved installing:
- T8 fluorescent lamps and electronic ballasts
- Compact fluorescent screw-in lamps
- LED exit signs
- T8 energy-saver lamps
The benefits: better light quality, lower operating costs
Although saving money was not the primary goal of the retrofit, the new technologies are saving over 30,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a year, equivalent to $1,710 in annual energy savings. As well, maintenance costs are reduced since the energy-efficient lights last longer and fewer lamp replacements are needed.
Even more important is the improvement in lighting quality, which, according to Teufel, “is much better than it was – more like daylight.”
Need more information?
Find out how Power Smart can energize your bottom line. For more information on how your facility can benefit from the installation of energy-efficient technologies through the Product Incentive Program, visit bchydro.com/incentives or call 1 866 522 4713.
Last Modified: May 9, 2009
