Lighting Upgrade Helps City Garage Post 45% Savings in Energy Costs
February, 2013
Oakland, CA, is implementing one of the country’s most ambitious energy and climate action plans, aiming to reduce building energy use in 2020 to 36% below 2005 levels.
To help accomplish this goal and simultaneously transform an antiquated parking garage into an ultramodern, energy efficient facility, the city partnered with ABM and SmartLights, a commercial energy efficiency program offered by the East Bay Energy Watch through the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. Local Government Partnership.
The results, ABM said, are a dramatic 45% energy savings and new electronic vehicle (EV) charging stations – all with a net zero impact on the city’s budget.
Challenge
With aging lighting equipment, the parking garage at 1250 Martin Luther King Way was identified by Oakland as the prime candidate for an energy retrofit.
The city also wanted to install EV charging stations to support sustainability efforts, but the parking garage didn’t have the power capacity. And Oakland officials wanted to do all this without increasing the city’s operating budget.
Solution
ABM installed state-of-the-art, high-efficiency, fluorescent and LED lighting, and wireless (Zigbee) lighting controls that reduced energy use by 45%.
The energy-saving enhancements also allowed for installation of several ChargePoint EV charging stations, without the need to upgrade the facility’s existing electrical system.
Leveraging federal and local incentives, and low-interest financing from ABM, Oakland is able to pay for the entire project with its utility cost savings, and to contribute a positive cash flow to the existing budget.
Benefits
Along with the significant energy reduction and new EV charging stations, other key benefits include:
• $54,965 reduction in annual energy costs.
• 342,654 kWh saved per year (equivalent to eliminating 246,046 lbs. of CO2 or planting 23.8 acres of pine forest).
• 2.9 year payback.
• Improved lighting quality and safety, as well as reduced maintenance.
Client Quote
“Our parking garage is now substantially upgraded. It’s safer, there’s less maintenance needed, and the quality is great.” – Scott Wentworth, Energy Engineer, City of Oakland, CA
To help accomplish this goal and simultaneously transform an antiquated parking garage into an ultramodern, energy efficient facility, the city partnered with ABM and SmartLights, a commercial energy efficiency program offered by the East Bay Energy Watch through the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. Local Government Partnership.
The results, ABM said, are a dramatic 45% energy savings and new electronic vehicle (EV) charging stations – all with a net zero impact on the city’s budget.
Challenge
With aging lighting equipment, the parking garage at 1250 Martin Luther King Way was identified by Oakland as the prime candidate for an energy retrofit.
The city also wanted to install EV charging stations to support sustainability efforts, but the parking garage didn’t have the power capacity. And Oakland officials wanted to do all this without increasing the city’s operating budget.
Solution
ABM installed state-of-the-art, high-efficiency, fluorescent and LED lighting, and wireless (Zigbee) lighting controls that reduced energy use by 45%.
The energy-saving enhancements also allowed for installation of several ChargePoint EV charging stations, without the need to upgrade the facility’s existing electrical system.
Leveraging federal and local incentives, and low-interest financing from ABM, Oakland is able to pay for the entire project with its utility cost savings, and to contribute a positive cash flow to the existing budget.
Benefits
Along with the significant energy reduction and new EV charging stations, other key benefits include:
• $54,965 reduction in annual energy costs.
• 342,654 kWh saved per year (equivalent to eliminating 246,046 lbs. of CO2 or planting 23.8 acres of pine forest).
• 2.9 year payback.
• Improved lighting quality and safety, as well as reduced maintenance.
Client Quote
“Our parking garage is now substantially upgraded. It’s safer, there’s less maintenance needed, and the quality is great.” – Scott Wentworth, Energy Engineer, City of Oakland, CA
