Pelham, NH
Pelham High School is committed to providing a high-quality, contemporary education in an inspiring and safe environment. For many years the school district realized a need to improve the current facility, yet struggled to find the resources to do so. The combination of poor ventilation, a lack of natural sunlight, and the growing number of students led school officials to pursue a renovation to the 43 year old building.
Once proposed renovations were approved in 2014, the school department worked with Liberty Utilities to seek efficient and cost effective lighting solutions throughout the building. Liberty Utilities Program Manager Bob Reals worked with the school department to learn their needs and help determine what lighting options were right for them.
Various LED fixtures with advanced controls were installed. Many fixtures have sensors that detect ambient light and automatically adjust to provide only the light needed. Because of the efficiency of the fixtures installed, the project qualified for a $35,000 rebate from Liberty Utilities.
The improvements have left both students and staff feeling proud of the establishment. According to Principal Gary Dempsey, “The lighting is brighter and more welcoming. The rebate will also allow us to add items to the renovation that we couldn’t get to, like some new furniture in the breakout spaces.”
Although the economic downturn in 2008 delayed the renovation project by a number of years, the advantage from switching to efficient LED lighting was well worth the wait. The expected payback for the incremental cost of high efficient lighting systems after incentive is about one and a half years. Also, the long life expectancy of LEDs means Pelham High School can expect to save approximately $31,000 annually for the next 15 to 20 years.
