Chief Torgerson reports that the Aberdeen Police Department just completed a facility lighting retrofit project, converting all incandescent and florescent lights inside and outside the building and courtroom to LED (Light-Emitting Diode).
The $39,934 project was partially funded by a $13,833 grant from the Grays Harbor PUD. The monthly energy savings alone is expected to be about $614. It is estimated that the monthly savings will pay back the out of pocket cost to the city ($26,101) within 3.5 years. Additional monetary yearly savings of $1,198 are expected as routine maintenance of the florescent lighting system will no longer be required.
Using local labor and suppliers, a total of 1500 lights were changed within the Police Department and Municipal Court. These lights are expected to last 5-10 years depending on the usage. During a previous project, light switches throughout the building were changed from manually operated switches to motion sensors.
The new LED lights are made of plastic instead of glass making them safer for the jail as they are much harder to be broken into sharp pieces as their florescent counterparts. Florescent lights are considered to be hazardous waste and must be disposed of accordingly. There are currently no special handling requirements for LED lights.