While LEDs can save substantial energy and maintenance costs over the course of their lifetime, the investment case associated with their adoption is often difficult to discern among the maze of general lighting reports, marketing materials, and strong competition from conventional lighting solutions. The information and independence that municipalities, institutions, and real estate stakeholders need is often so illusive that a large municipality asked Cleantech Approach (CTA) to determine the scenarios—spanning a range of vendors, products, applications, and endmarkets— under which it made financial sense to move ahead with LED implementation.

As lighting accounts for approximately 16% of the municipality’s energy consumption, it is a central part of its energy efficiency and sustainability efforts. This information was critical as the municipality considered retrofitting their own facilities and sizable infrastructure, as well as creating effective legislation and financial incentives for property owners and citizens to retrofit their own properties.

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This article was published in the Jan/Feb 2010 issue of LEDs Magazine. To read the full version of this article, please visit our magazine page, where you can download FREE electronic PDF versions of all issues of LEDs Magazine. You can also request a print copy of LEDs Magazine (available by paid subscription) and sign up for our free weekly email newsletter.