Page 14 - The Edge - Summer 2016

LIGHTING AND WATER USAGE light is more directional. You keep the light where you need it. An added

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 bene t is that it won’t shine on homes across the street from the school.”
In addition, LEDs have no light uctuation. Regular tubes uctuate.
speed and evapotranspiration, which is de ned as an estimate of the “ at’s very bene cial in classrooms,” Falconer said. “It optimizes
water that evaporates from soil and plant surfaces. classroom learning environment.”
“You can track historic use, compared to actual use going on right According to Madsen, major manufacturers are moving heavily
now,” Sheppard said. “You can also take weather data to micro manage into producing LED bulbs, bringing down prices. “It’s becoming less
an irrigation system and allotment of water. With a wireless sensor, I expensive to change over to LED,” he said. “When LED rst came out,
can know how much water is going in and how much water the soil is you walked into a room and it was so bright it felt like a lab. It’s much
accepting. You can eliminate guess work and eliminate waste.” better lighting now, thanks to advances in technology.”
Madsen said that what has happened in energy conservation in At Peoria Uni ed School District where Jared Reynolds is the
the past 20 years is currently happening in water conservation. “It’s Administrator for Facilities Planning, Construction and Maintenance,
important for schools to start talking about interior and exterior the district reaped $1.25 million in savings, along with a $700,000
uses,” he said. “ e paybacks for water conservation are better than rebate for lighting and rest for water conservation.
for lighting conservation. As the rates increase, savings will increase. “We were able to put money back into our budget and into our
You see people watering ball elds at noon. at’s water wasted. With classrooms,” Reynolds said.
dashboards, just like energy dashboards, you’re seeing when is the
right time to water – not during a rainstorm and not at noon. You can Ben Madsen, Midstate Energy, can be reached atbmadsen@
read the soil, sun and wind accurately for maximum savings. e right midstate-energy.com.
water for the right use with the right technology.”
Randy Falconer of Midstate Energy highlighted the trend toward Dean Sheppard, owner of Intelligent Irrigation Systems, can be
LED lighting, which he said has a 50,000-hour life cycle, while an reached at: deansheppard@iiswater.com.
average classroom runs at 2,500 hours.
“ e bene t is huge,” Falconer said. “You use lower watt bulbs and Randy Falconer, Midstate Energy, can be reached at: rfalconer@
cut electricity use. And it’s a fantastic quality of light. LED is white, midstate-energy.com.
compared to mostly yellow for other tubes. You increase security and
safety. Most schools have cameras around the campus. It’s sometimes Jared Reynolds, Peoria Uni ed School District, can be reached at:
di cult to get a picture that isn’t grainy. It’s better with LED, and the jareynolds@peoriaud.k12.az.us.

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THE EDGE | SUMMER 2016
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