Implementing Solar LED Lighting at Stockton University

Tim Gallagher, Shaughn Juckett, Ryan Pottieger

Environmental Issues (ENVL 4300)
Tait Chirenje
Stockton University
Spring 2015
3/20/15

1!

Table of Contents
1. Abstract....3-4
2. Mission statement....4
3. Statement of Need....4
4. Project Rationale...5-7
4.1. Cost Benefits..5-6
4.2. Environmental Benefits.....6-7
4.3. LEDs and Insects.7
5. Goals and Objectives7-8
6. Proposed Activities.8-11
6.1 Installation..8-9
6.2 Maintenance..9-10
6.3 Evaluations.10-11
7. Cost and Comparison11-13
8. Care Free, Energy Free Outlook13
9. Outreach and Dissemination.....13-14
10. Legs Sustainability.14-15
References....16-18
Appendices...19-21

2!

1. Abstract:
Current outdoor light fixtures require a lot of energy to be powered on Stockton
Universitys campus. Recurring costs, like electric bills can be a financially stressful to a
university. Therefore, we propose to implement solar powered lighting fixtures in
Stockton Universitys future quad. The lights will be placed in a way that they are
most efficient and have little to no effect on insects. The new quad is going to be a
significantly large area, therefore the lighting that is placed there needs to be as efficient
as possible. The Associate Director and Project Manager of Facilities Planning and
Construction at Stockton University confirmed with us that Stockton roughly pays around
$0.09-$0.14 per kWh. Switching to this smart alternative of solar power will result in
using just a fraction of the energy that commonly used outdoor bulb consumes.
Eliminating electrical powered lights will also decrease the amount of greenhouse gases
that are emitted into the environment. Since LED lights last longer, the amount of trash
that they produce is far less than the common outdoor light fixture. Insects will benefit
from LED lighting because LED lights are not known to attract insects, unlike traditional
lights that attract insects and emit pollution. Along with using LED bulbs, fixtures will
be pointed directly towards the ground limiting the amount of light pollution and
unnecessary light emitted elsewhere. LED bulbs last much longer than standard bulbs,
which would decrease workload on employees. Maintenance would have to be able to
clear debris from solar panels or to clean the panels if they are dirty. Evaluation of the
effectiveness of this proposal would be simple. You would have to make comparison to
the current electric bills and the bills following the installation of solar powered outdoor

3!

lights. This new system will be a sustainable way to give students, faculty, and staff the
commodities of light that they need

2. Mission Statement:
Our mission is to provide an efficient and sustainable way of lighting Stockton
Universitys Quad upon construction by providing visible walkways, decreasing energy
use, and incorporating solar powered LED light fixtures.

3. Statement of Need:
At any academic facility there is a necessary need for indoor and outdoor
lighting. Stockton University is no exception to this. Stockton University has over 75
academic and housing buildings as well as 1,600 acres that need to be maintained. One of
the Plant Operations missions is to, develop and implement energy conservation
measures to constrain recurring costs to the College and to reduce environmental
pollution (Facilities, 2015). Stockton has many outdoor pathways that are meant for
pedestrian use that use lights and lamp posts to decrease safety hazards for nighttime
use. The vast amount of light fixtures on campus requires large amounts of energy to be
powered throughout the night. This outdated system increases financial support needed
from the University to provide energy. In order to cease additional costs to power these
inefficient lights, Stockton University needs to consider smarter options when new
lighting is needed. The implementation of solar powered LED (Light Emitting Diode)
light fixtures placed in the newly constructed quad will help eliminate a larger demand
for power and decrease recurring energy costs for Stockton University. Also, the new
LED lighting will reduce the impact that traditional lights have on insect species (Walker,
2011). The up to date lighting system in the quad will not only support Stockton

4!

Universitys image of being a Green University, but will be a starting point for a
continuation of using the new solar LED technology.

4. Project Rationale:
4.1. Cost Benefits:
Implementing LED solar panel lighting to the future Stockton University quad
would be the most sustainable way to light the area because it is a large piece of property.
The new quads dimensions are roughly, 350 feet wide by 560 feet long with an
extension towards the southeast with both sides being 240 feet long, as shown in Figure 1
in the appendix. This area is going to need a large supply of lighting. Therefore, using
LED lights as well as solar panels would decrease energy demands and electric costs. It
is difficult to imagine exactly the amount the University pays for electricity alone. Our
meeting with the Associate Director and Project Manager of Facilities Planning and
Construction at Stockton University confirmed that Stockton roughly pays around $0.09$0.14 per kWh. Switching to this smart alternative will result in using just a fraction of
the energy that commonly used outdoor bulb consumes. As well as consuming less
energy, LED bulbs last longer which in turn cuts back on costs because replacement
frequency is decreased (Benefits of LED Lighting, 2014). As square footage increases,
the electric demand and use gets higher. Therefore with the construction of the new
academic buildings taking place, it would be beneficial to switch to outdoor solar and
LED lighting to decrease cost and energy usage. In addition to energy savings and
decreased bulb replacement. Over time these upgrades cut back on the ecological
footprint of Stocktons lighting because LED bulbs will have smaller manufacturing rates

5!

compared to traditional incandescent bulbs, which will decrease pollution

(Environmental, 2012).

4.2. Environmental Benefits:

The most significant benefit of using solar powered LED lights in the
environment is the decrease of energy that is needed to maintain power to the
lights. Lights that are powered by solar energy do not rely on power from an electrical
source. Instead they capture the energy produced by the sun to power the light
bulbs. The solar panels use particles of light and photons from the sun to activate a
reaction from the electrons on the silicon panel surface, which creates an electrical
current (Dhar, 2013). The elimination of electric powered lights ultimately decreases the
amount of greenhouse gases that electrical powered lights produce when actively
working. Greenhouse gases have become a larger problem in the last 20 years. In the
United States, greenhouse gas emissions have increased by 5% from 1990 to 2012 with
electricity being the primary contributor (Sources, 2014). LED lights have similar
benefits as solar powered lights as they have a longer lifespan and create less greenhouse
gas emissions. LED lights also are free from harmful components like mercury that is
found in other light bulbs that is hazardous to humans and the environment (Benefits of
LED Lighting, 2014,). Since LED lights have a much longer lifespan, the disposal of
them will be less frequent. This is beneficial to the environment because it decreases the
amount of trash created by light bulbs along with eliminating harmful components of
other types of light bulbs in trash. If our proposal is successful not only will we be able
to provide a cleaner way to power the campus lights, we will also be able to significantly

6!

reduce the amount of light bulbs purchased by Stockton, which will help decrease the
Universitys footprint.

4.3. LEDs and Insects:

After speaking with Dr. Jamie Cromartie, he made the importance of responsible
lighting techniques evident when considering the possible impact on insect species on
Stocktons campus. Most people are aware that many insects will repeatedly fly into a
light fixture ultimately resulting in their death. The use of outdoor lighting is essential on
college campuses as it provides, protection, safety, and visibility to students and
faculty. However these light fixtures need to be implemented in a smart way to avoid
negatively affecting insects. The death of just one insect is fairly insignificant, but the
deaths of thousands or more will be detrimental to an entire ecosystem. Some insects
such as dragonflies, mayflies, and aquatic beetles are attracted to lights that reflect off of
objects such as cars or buildings. Our proposed design for lighting would be to have the
LED lights pointing directly at the ground, which would eliminate reflections off other
surfaces. Buglife suggests installing LED lights, which do not emit a lot of Ultraviolet
radiation. This further supports our idea of proposing the use of LED bulbs in the
outdoor light fixtures in the upcoming quad construction (Walker, 2011).

5. Goals and Objectives:

The goal of this proposal is to help upgrade the lighting system on Stockton
Universitys campus by being a positive contributor to the environment, which will lead
to a decrease in the energy footprint used by the school. Decreasing the amount of
energy used to light the campus quad will conserve annual finances and implement a
sustainable way to light the campus. The new lights will feature LED bulbs, which will

7!

illuminate the same areas as a traditional outdoor light fixture. LED light bulbs also
create less heat when lit, which is beneficial to the environment because it will not
encourage climate change and creates brighter light than incandescent bulbs. These LED
bulbs are more sustainable because they use less energy to power, which allows them to
last longer (Benefits of LED Lighting, 2014).

6. Proposed Activities:
The proposed activities that will need to take place are the installation process of
these new solar powered lights in the new outdoor quad area. This process will take
place during the construction phase of the new quad. The quad area will be assigned
a new number of LED solar light fixtures to ensure that the total area is lit productively
and sustainably. The lights will be designed to point directly at the ground decreasing
unnecessary light pollution emitted into the sky and having the minimum effect on insect
species.

6.1. Installation:
The installation process will take place when all of the proposed buildings are
built and construction of the quad is completed. Stockton Universitys plant
management and facilities division along with the contractors used will be tasked with
the installation of the lights. The company that we propose to purchase the solar light
fixtures from is Sol Incorporated which is a subsidiary of Carmanah Technologies
Corporation who is the world leader in solar LED outdoor lighting solutions (Company
Overview, 2015). We propose to implement 80 light fixtures in the new quad space due
to the multiple pathways that the quad will provide and based on our measurements of
the walkways and spacing of the lights. These fixtures will be pointed directly downward

8!

to prevent light from shining on places where it is not necessary. The light fixtures that
we have proposed to implement already have solar panels installed on them so there is no
separate solar panel installation. The installation process will be a one-time process as the
light fixtures have a long-term lifespan. After they are installed there will only be
maintenance needed in the short-term period that follows.

6.2. Maintenance:
Maintenance for the new solar powered light fixtures will be minimal after the
installation process has been completed and any potential problems or malfunctions are
covered by a 5-year warranty period (Technical, 2015). The proposed LED lights have
an estimated 60,000 hours of lamp life. If on average the LEDs are lit 12 hours per day
than this amounts to more than 12 years of lamp life (LED Lights, 2015). The LED light
bulbs will need to be replaced when they expire. However, with the average lifespan of
an LED light being up to 60,000 hours compared to the average 400 Watt metal halide
light bulb that lasts only 13,000-15,000 hours it seems to be worth the investment
(VanTol, 2011). This lifespan can be altered by temperature as warm environments
decrease life span and cold environments increase life span (LED Lighthouse,
2011). New Jersey is geographically located in an area with altering temperatures that
are both warm and cool. This allows us to assume that during the summer months life
span will be decreased but during winter months life span will increase. It is safe to say
that we can expect a lifespan of up to 60,000 hours per bulb, which will greatly decrease
the frequency of light bulb replacement by the maintenance crew. Secondly, In order to
obtain the maximum amount of energy intake by the solar panels they will need to be
clear of any debris. The cleaning of the solar panels will only need to take place when

9!

precipitation events do not naturally clean the panel surface. Lastly, structural repair of
the fixtures is something that will already be considered by the maintenance crew on
current light fixtures on campus. With solar panels requiring little to no maintenance
except inspection of dirtiness and occasional cleaning, the amount of maintenance by
staff will decrease dramatically. These random structural faults are unpredictable and
decreased workload should be favorable to the maintenance crew at the University.

6.3. Evaluations:
In order to evaluate the effectiveness of this proposal, our group sat down with the
Associate Director of Facilities Planning and Construction, Glenn Brown and Project
Manager of Facilities Planning and Construction, Dan B. Cordle. These two gentlemen
helped us determine a rough estimate of how many light fixtures we would need in the
new quad area by actually showing us the blueprints of the quad area. We also
discussed the finances behind our implementation of solar powered LED lights and they
confirmed our numbers, which are explained in the following section to be
reasonable. We went over the price that Stockton University pays per kWh is to be
roughly $0.09-$0.14. Unfortunately electrical light installation has already been
approved for a small portion of the new quad area. We hope that our proposal will be
taken into consideration in the remaining light installation decisions for the majority of
the quad area. The only other thing that would need to be done at this point is a
comparison of the energy used by a solar powered light against the electricity that would
be needed to power those lights if they were not run by solar energy. This could be done
easily by looking at the amount of electrical energy used by a light of equal energy
demand and determining how much money it costs to power that individual light. The

10!

amount of money saved by not having to electrically power the new lights in the quad
would prove to be cost friendly and highly sustainable. If the proposal proves to be
successful, this idea of solar powered outdoor lights can be implemented to any new
lights being installed in the future and replacement of existing light fixtures on campus.

7. Costs and Comparison:

Implementing solar LED fixtures are a much smarter option compared to
traditional lighting because they will save money and energy in the long run. When
comparing costs of materials, the solar LED model GreenWay Series produced by Sol
Incorporated can be purchased for $3,500. This GreenWay Series fixture has an
installation fee of $1,000, creating a total of $4,500 per light. By observing the distance
between the existing lights on campus at the United Science Center to be 60 ft, we
determined that the illumination emitted from the new LED fixtures would require them
to be 50 feet apart because they are more concentrated. We used a map of the future
quad construction plan and the scale given on the map to determine dimensions of the
quad and the lengths of the walks that run through it. Since we determined that the
GreenWay Series fixtures need a spacing of 50 feet between each other, we applied
marks on each path of sidewalk to allow us to determine the amount of fixtures needed in
total. We propose that 80 solar powered fixtures need to be placed in the quad to have
adequate lighting. With each complete light fixture costing $4,500 including installation
we calculated a total of $360,000 as seen in Table 2 in the appendix. While this number
may seem steep, these fixtures cost $0 to run and require no electricity.
In order to prove that our idea is a better option we also calculated the total
number of traditional 400-Watt (metal halide or high pressure sodium) lights needed to

11!

illuminate the same area of the quad and the costs that come along with it. We used the
same technique to mark lights on the map, but now with a distance of 60 feet in between
each figure since we observed this in already existing electric powered fixtures. The total
for traditional electrical lights needed came out to be 62 fixtures. These traditional lights
are cheaper, but require additional components and cost much more to maintain. Each
light and pole of a traditional lighting system averages $1,050. Installation of these
fixtures costs about $800, with an additional cost of trenching for wiring at $40 a foot for
5,860 feet, 2 transformers and bases at $8,000 each, and 4 disconnects at $900 a piece
(Cost, 2015). Without including electricity and maintenance, the implementation of the
62 electrical lights for the quad area would cost $368,700. This number is very similar
to our proposed LED lighting system as seen in Table 1 of the appendix. With each
kilowatt of power per hour (kWh) costing between $0.09- $0.14, the cost to run each of
the lights at an average of 12 hours of darkness per day would cost $244.55 a year per
light and $15,162.10 for all 62 electric fixtures assuming the higher $0.14 rate (Parking,
2011). The bulbs on these lights have approximately a 3-year lifespan and each bulb can
be changed for about $30 (VanTol, 2014). Maintenance costs would include the threeyear replacement period, which would total $1,860 for all 62 lights as seen in Table 3 in
the appendix. Since the LED lighting has a lamp life of approximately 12 years, this
means that you would have had to replace the traditional bulbs 4 times with 3 years
between each replacement. This amounts to $7,440 dollars in bulbs in the amount of
time you would have to change the LEDs only once and with added electricity costs, a
surprising total savings of $189,384 in the first 12 years.

12!

This solar LED system may seem expensive, but it in fact pays itself off. The
money spent to purchase and install these lights will be made back by saving on
maintenance and electricity you would have otherwise spent with traditional
lighting. The cost of electricity and maintenance for three years of traditional lighting
operation totals $47,346, while the proposed budget of incorporating the solar LED light
system costs $360,000. With these numbers, it would take a calculated 7.6 traditional
light bulb changes or just under 23 years for the LED system to pay itself off. After these
23 years, the operation of these GreenWay Series lights will be completely worth it and
free.

8. Care Free, Energy Free Outlook:

Once the new fixtures are installed and in place the University will pay less
money on electric energy and it will reduce their energy needs. This will ultimately lead
to a decrease in emissions that come from electric powered lights and decrease
Stocktons footprint on the environment. Over the years that Stockton uses these solar
powered lights, the savings from decreased energy costs will pay for the installation and
price of the solar powered lights in the quad. However, the savings do not stop there.
Federal, state, and some local governments offer tax rebates that cover up to 30% of your
solar power cost just by implementing solar energy in your home or building (Solar
Energy, 2015). This shows how the transition is not financially burdening and
encouraged by the government.

9. Outreach and Dissemination:

Outreach and Dissemination will be done fairly easily throughout the
University. Initially, signs will be created to make everyone aware including students,

13!

faculty, and staff of the plans for implementation of solar panel powered LED lighting
systems in the new quad. These systems will become more apparent when construction
of the quad begins and the new solar powered lights are installed on campus. The
change to solar power lights will be announced through social media accounts on
Stocktons campus. E-mails will be sent out to faculty and students that lay out the
transition to solar power lights in the quad and explain the benefits of changing light
fixtures to solar power with the hope of eventually changing all lighting systems to solar
power. Announcements and updates will also be displayed through the Stockton
University website and television sets across the campus to show progress of installation
and the reduction of energy use taking place after installation has occurred.

10. LEGS: Sustainability

Sustainability is the main goal of our proposal. We want to help implement better
ways of using resources that are environmentally friendly on Stocktons
campus. Electricity is the highest greenhouse gas emission source in the United States as
it created 32% of greenhouse gases in 2012 (Electricity, 2014). This number has been
increasing since 1990 because there are always new buildings being constructed that need
electricity to light them (Electricity, 2014). This is the case at Stockton University. The
school is continuing to build new buildings, which will only increase the amount of
electricity needed to light them and make them functional for students, faculty, and staff.
The implementation of our proposed solar powered lights will help decrease the required
energy for the campus. If our proposal is successful then the installation of solar powered
lights could continue to take place in and around other buildings that are being planned to
be constructed. Not only will solar powered light systems decrease energy use, they will

14!

greatly influence the greenhouse gas emissions that the school emits as a whole. We
realize that a few light fixtures will not dramatically change this but it is a start to helping
create a more sustainable campus. If incorporated on a large-scale level in the future,
solar power on Stocktons campus could help improve the air quality in areas beyond
campus and provide evidence that solar power is the best option. We hope that
Stocktons image of sustainable energy use will encourage other facilities affiliated and
not affiliated with Stockton to switch to solar power and help decrease greenhouse
emissions as a whole.

15!

References:

Benefits of LED Lighting Vs Incandescent Bulbs. (2014, January 1). Retrieved March
17, 2015, from http://lifx.co/lighting101/advantages/led-vs-incandescent/

Company Overview. (2015). Sol Incorporated. Retrieved March 14, 2015, from
http://www.solarlighting.com/about-sol

Cost of Solar.(2015). Sol Incorporated. Retrieved March 17, 2015, from

http://www.solarlighting.com/cost-of-solar

Dhar, M. (2013, December 16). How Do Solar Panels Work? Retrieved March 19,
2015, from http://www.livescience.com/41995-how-do-solar-panels-work.html

Electricity Sector Emissions. (2014, July 2). Retrieved March 18, 2015, from
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/sources/electricity.html

Environmental Benefits of LED Lamps. (2012, October). Retrieved March 17, 2015,
from http://www.lighting.philips.com/pwc_li/main/led/assets/mr16led-lifecycleanalysis.pdf

Facilities and Construction. (2015, January 1). Retrieved March 19, 2015, from
http://intraweb.stockton.edu/eyos/page.cfm?siteID=254&pageID=1

16!

LED Lighthouse. (2011, January 1). Retrieved March 17, 2015, from https://www.ledlighthouse.co.uk/how-long-do-leds-last

LED Lights. (2015). Sol Incorporated. Retrieved March 14, 2015, from
http://www.solarlighting.com/LED-lights

Parking Lot Lighting with LEDS: TJ Maxx Plaza.(2011, January). US Department of

Energy. Retrieved March 17, 2015, from
http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/ns/led_tjmaxx_bri
ef.pdf
Solar Energy Tax Credit & Rebates for Solar Panels. (2015). Retrieved March
19, 2015, from http://www.solarcity.com/residential/solar-energy-tax-creditsrebates

Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (2014, August 20). Retrieved March 19,
2015, from http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/sources.html

Technical Specifications. (2015) Sol Incorporated. Retrieved 17, 2015 from

http://www.solarlighting.com/sites/default/files/docs/GreenWay%20Series_2.p
df

VanTol, D. (2011, September 24). Energy Efficient School Parking Lot Lighting.

17!

Retrieved March 16, 2015, from

http://www.hoveyelectric.com/hovey-electric-power-blog/bid/71992/EnergyEfficient-School-Parking-Lot-Lighting

Walker, M. (2011, May 26). Like Moths to a Flame. Retrieved March 17, 2015, from
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/legacy/wondermonkey/2011/05/like-moths-to-aflame.shtml

18!

Appendix

19!

20!

21!