International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 478
1965 Dixwell Ave.
Hamden 06514
203-288-9261
local478.org
Business manager: Ben Cozzi
No. members: 4,367
When Local 478 of the International Union of Operating Engineers decided to remodel its two-story, 18,000-square-foot headquarters building in Hamden, saving on energy costs was a top priority. So the union called on Lighthouse WorldWide, LLC in Milford to convert the 300-plus flourescent lights in the building at 1965 Dixwell Ave. over to LED lighting.
“We were looking for energy savings, and we wanted the latest, state-of-the-art lighting,” explains Frank Ennis, facilities manager for the union, whose members are heavy equipment operators, mechanics and support personnel.
The switch will result in a two-thirds reduction in the amount of energy used to light the 50-year-old facility, according to Eric Giers, general manager of Lighthouse WorldWide. The company replaced 23-watt flourescent bulbs with seven-watt LED tube lights.
“The quality of the light is better” as well, says Giers. “You get a much cooler color temperature, and it’s very bright for reading. There’s no flicker or noise associated with LED. It’s a better environment for workers.”
Giers says the union expects to earn back the cost of replacing all of the lights in about three and a half years through lower energy bills.
“Lighting uses by far the most energy, 50 percent to 70 percent of the energy consumed in this country,” Giers says. “Until they are adopted on a mass scale, though, LED lights will remain more expensive.”
Lighthouse WorldWide, founded in 2007, is dedicated to bringing alternative-energy products to Connecticut homes and businesses. The company conducts lighting audits and will show clients how long it will take to start earning a return on their investment in LED lighting.
LED, or light emitting diode, lights are seminconductor light sources. They consume less energy, last longer and are smaller, more durable and more reliable than incandescent or flourescent light sources. Semiconductor research group iSuppli recently forecast double-digit growth for the LED market as both businesses and consumers adopt the energy-efficient lights.
Ennis says union employees are happy with the new lights illuminating their workplace a year after the installation took place in late 2008, and the new lighting system has worked well. The union also added a new heating system, converting the steam boiler to hot-water heat and replacing an underground oil tank with a natural gas system.
“Our business manager, Ben Cozzi, feels like it’s our responsibility to make our buildings as energy-efficient as possible,” Ennis says.
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