RSF Garage Gets Lighting Upgrade

Newer, brighter, more efficient lighting (left).  Older, darker, less efficient light (right)

The lighting in the RSF Parking Garage is being replaced with energy-efficient fixtures that will reduce energy consumption, save the campus money, and make the garage a brighter place.

The new fluorescent lighting being installed will use half the electricity of the existing lighting, saving the campus about $10,000 per year. The total cost of the project -- funded entirely by our friends at the campus department of Parking & Transportation -- is $72,000; and with a $24,000 rebate from PG&E, the project will pay for itself in less than five years.  A very nice return on investment.

The total savings in energy consumption is estimated at 100,000 kWh per year.  What does that mean? According to PG&E's Carbon Footprint Calculator, a typical residential customer uses about 6,480 kWh of electricity per year, so the savings are equivalent to the electricity used to heat about 15 homes for a year!

The new lamps provide brighter illumination (see photo camparison above) than the creepy orange light from the existing fixtures. The improved quality of the light contributes to safety in the garage.

Construction is scheduled to be complete by the end of November, so please drive slowly, respect temporary detour signs and traffic barricades, and keep an eye out for the workers. The safety of everyone using the garage is important.

Rec Sports would like to pass a big thank you on to the folks at UC Berkeley’s Campus Energy Efficiency Program (part of Capital Projects) and to the Department of Parking and Transportation for making this fantastic project happen.

Questions or concerns about this project should be addressed to UC Berkeley Capital Project at 510 643-4793.