5 minute read
From Outdated to Efficient
Red Wing School District’s Successful Lighting Retrofit
By Madison Keller with Parker Allen
Photos courtesy of Retrofit Lighting & Design, a division of The Retrofit Companies, Inc.
Red Wing Public Schools was facing challenges with outdated lighting systems in multiple buildings throughout their district. The lights flickered and had poor light quality, causing discomfort for students and staff. The systems were inefficient, leading to high energy and maintenance costs. Additionally, the special education classrooms were in need of lighting that could support a better learning environment that would meet the requirements of students. The district needed a solution that would address these issues while being cost-effective.
Decision makers had several options to resolve these problems. They could continue to replace bulbs and make minor repairs, but this would only provide a temporary solution and continue to create high maintenance costs. Another option was to replace the existing lighting system with LED technology, providing long-term cost savings and improved lighting quality.
Kevin Johnson, the Buildings & Grounds Director of Red Wing School District, had originally connected with Retrofit Lighting & Design through the Minnesota Educational Facilities Management Professionals Association (MASMS). Jake Andrist, Director of Retrofit Lighting & Design, had made it a point to stay in contact with Kevin in the event a full-scale retrofit project ever materialized. When Kevin finally decided it was time to pull the trigger, Andrist was the first person he called. Johnson explained, “We crunched the numbers and it clearly made sense to do this. We would be spending almost exactly the same amount of money maintaining [the lights] over the next 30 years versus replacing them, so it’s kind of a no-brainer.”
Retrofit’s team of Project Developers audited the entire district with the aid of SnapCount® auditing software. They developed LED upgrade solutions for every fixture in the entire district. This included both interior and exterior lighting to maximize solution longevity, eliminate maintenance, and reduce energy consumption.
Andrist worked with the facilities and maintenance departments and the Special Education Director to develop the plan for the project. He collaborated with the district’s Business Manager to ensure the project was affordable and fully funded. They then presented the solution to the Facilities Committee, Superintendent and School Board, which voted almost unanimously to approve it.
Retrofit Lighting & Design determined that new retrofit kits would replace old fluorescent technology wherever possible and new LED fixtures would be used when a kit was not an option. It was important that all fluorescent lamps and ballasts were removed from all buildings throughout the district. The district also wanted to take this opportunity to enhance the learning environment for their students by reducing light “flicker” and adding RGBW color- tuning LED lighting and controls in all special education classrooms across the entire district. Casambi-enabled color-tunable lights were installed in special education classrooms, along with wall-mounted iPad and app-based control systems.
The project involved upgrading the lighting in Red Wing High School, Twin Bluff Middle School, Sunnyside Elementary, Burnside Elementary, Colvill Family Education Center, River Bluff Education Center, Prairie Island Ice Arena, and the Maintenance Shop. The project took place over 800,000 square feet of building space, including interior and exterior spaces. This space included over 20,000 lights.
The lighting retrofit project resulted in significant cost savings for Red Wing Public Schools. The district estimates annual cost savings of over 51.39%, or approximately $85,000 annually. Rebates of over $250,000 from Xcel Energy and the Xcel Energy/CEE One-Stop Program were processed by Retrofit Lighting & Design and paid back to the school district, offsetting the upfront project costs significantly. The new lighting systems also improved the light quality and light functionality for students and staff. The maintenance staff no longer needs to constantly change out bulbs and ballasts, saving time and money. The improved light quality on the exterior and interior of the school district increases the safety and security of the district as a whole. Additionally, the colortuning lights have made the special education classrooms more supportive learning environments.
Red Wing Public Schools faced district-wide lighting issues that required a cost-effective and long-term solution. Retrofitting the existing lighting system with LED technology provided significant cost savings and improved lighting quality. Staff and students no longer experience flickering and low-quality light levels or special education classrooms that don’t adequately accommodate the students’ needs. The added bonus of being able to offset the upfront costs with rebates made this lighting upgrade project the perfect choice for Red Wing Public Schools. Retrofit Lighting & Design provided a lighting solution that met the district's needs and exceeded their expectations.
