Texas A&M University’s College of Architecture was first in line to participate in a university effort to have new, energy-efficient lighting installed in campus buildings.
The new lights are part of Maroon is Green, a collegewide initiative aimed at adopting green practices throughout the college’s three Langford Architecture Center buildings.
More than 1400 new, 34-watt lamps were installed. “There were 720 fixtures, and each can have between two to four lamps,” said Brian Veteto, mechanical systems specialist with Texas A&M’s physical plant.
In addition to the lamp change, Veteto said the 1970’s-era ballast on the fixtures was changed to digital, solid-state ballast, which will eliminate the flickering when a fixture is turned on, providing more efficiency.
Veteto said usage statistics won’t be available until the Sept. 1 billing cycle but comparing the results to 2007’s usage might not tell the whole story since last summer was unusually wet and cool, and that measurements over the long term will provide a more accurate indication of energy savings.
Maroon is Green began in the Spring 2008 semester with an afternoon of exhibits and speakers that began the college’s sustainable initiative.
