LED lights will save money at athletic facility

BRUCEDALE - Guelph-Eramosa will spend $86,754 to install LED lighting at the Royal Distributing Athletic Performance Centre (RDAPC) in Marden, hoping to save up to $19,000 per year on electricity.

Council approved the proposal from Rowe Electric on May 6, even though it had only the second-lowest project cost, by a difference of $931, compared to a bid from Trade Force Tech.

Parks and recreation director Robin Milne explained both firms would be replacing the bulbs.

But Rowe Electric would also replace all of the ballast fixtures, while the Trade Force Tech bid included only replacement of the higher-use ballast fixtures.

The nine-year-old facility has 52 lights, getting 4,715 hours of use per year.

LED lighting is expected to save 54 to 75 per cent on energy – or $15,000 to $19,000 per year.

Winter heating in the building will cost slightly more, since the new lights will not produce heat, but there will be no unwelcome heat during the summer.

Many current fluorescent bulbs have been replaced in the last two years and many others are nearing the end of their useful life.

The structure is 35 feet high at its peak, requiring the rental of lift equipment to change bulbs. The cost of the conversion is within the  2019 township budget.