Kandiyohi County Recycling Center in Willmar, Minn. has reduced its energy load by 10,000 Watts due to replacing its high-pressure sodium lights with energy-saving LED lights. The cost of replacing the bulbs totaled $22,000—which will be paid back with decreased energy usage in about five and a half years. Accompanying the decreasing energy usage, the new LED bulbs also have a longer lifespan, brighter light, and reach full brightness the instant they are turned on.
Supporting the recycling center in its efforts was the Willmar Municipal Utilities. WMU awarded the recycling center a $3,000 rebate to supplement funding for the new lights. Although the recycling center is the first LED rebate project for WMU, it is not its first energy-saving lighting project in general; last year, WMU’s rebates totaled $65,000. Dave Opsahl, WMU’s energy services representative, explained that, “We know there will be more of [the LED projects], but it’s really nice for somebody to start.” He continued, “We just encourage them to do it and we can do that with a rebate.”
Read the full story from West Central Tribune by clicking here.
