Energy Partnership Brings New Light to Cape Cod

In 2021, RISE Engineering, with the programmatic and financial backing of Cape Light Compact, installed all new LED lighting in six different Cape Cod National Seashore buildings. Cape Light Compact (CLC) is a nationally recognized award-winning energy services organization operated by the 21 towns on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard and Dukes County. The Compact’s mission is to serve its 200,000 customers through the delivery of proven energy efficiency programs, effective consumer advocacy and renewable competitive electricity supply. CLC is the Cape and Vineyard’s local Mass Save® electric Sponsor and the energy efficiency programs are funded by electricity consumers through an energy conservation charge on their monthly electric bill. All electric rate payers on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard are eligible to participate.

In December 2019, RISE Engineering conducted an energy analysis of the Cape Cod National Seashore buildings. After COVID-19 delays in 2020, the project was able to resume in 2021. For the Headquarters building, RISE determined that at an estimated cost of $10,942, electric savings of 10,481 kilowatts (kWh) could be achieved by switching to LED lighting, which roughly equals $1,887 in cost savings per year. This similar analysis was done on the remaining five administrative buildings—Nauset Ranger Station, the North Maintenance Building, Race Point Ranger Station, Salt Pond Visitor Center, and the South Maintenance Building. The total energy and cost savings across all six buildings annually came out to 48,048 kWh with a savings of $8,927 annually.

As a comparison to an average small office building, according to Business Energy Advisor, commercial buildings under 100,000 square feet use an average of 15 kWh of electricity per square foot. Therefore, the estimated energy use based on the square footage of all six Seashore buildings multiplied by 15 kWh equals 712,440 kWh of energy use per year. The 48,048 kWh of energy saved by the LED installation at the Seashore is roughly equivalent to 7% of the projected energy consumption of the average small commercial building — a significant savings increase.

LED lighting is highly energy efficient, much more so than incandescent and fluorescent bulbs. Standard LED lights can use up to 75% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than most incandescent lighting. This means that LED lighting uses less energy which is good for the environment. The longer life span of LED lighting is also environmentally friendly because it means there is less waste from frequent bulb replacement. LED bulbs are also non-toxic compared to fluorescent bulbs that contain mercury.

The CLC-sponsored energy efficiency work supports Cape Cod National Seashore staff efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from energy, waste, and transportation sources.

https://esource.bizenergyadvisor.com/article/small-and-midsize-offices#:~:text=Each%20year%20small%20and%20midsize,natural%20gas%20per%20square%20foot.