Shedd Aquarium in Chicago will become the first clean energy-powered aquarium in the country.
Energy efficient upgrades can be beneficial to all types of buildings and warehouses. However, the best type of facility lighting will vary depending on the needs of the building. Lighting specialists can help a business determine which type of energy efficient lighting is best for your facilities and specific needs.
The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago announced it would be improving its lighting in order to make the large and popular aquarium more energy efficient. As a result of the project, Shedd will be the first clean energy-powered aquarium in the country, Medill reported. By becoming a smart-powered facility, Shedd officials hope to cut energy consumption in half by 2020.
Robert Wengel, the aquarium’s vice president of facilities said the lighting upgrade will save about 10 million kilowatt-hours annually, enough to power 750 houses, according to the report by Medill.
“It’s going to be something that other institutions can look to as a model for their own,” said Elise Waugh, a communications and public relations coordinator at the Shedd Aquarium.
The project is part of a citywide effort to improve energy efficiency 5 percent by 2015, Ecobuildingpulse.com reported. Experts at Shedd said:
the lighting upgrades are part of a long-term strategy that will continually reduce the aquarium’s energy consumption
Shedd Aquarium has more than 32,000 animals that require a 24-hour life support system, the source said. In order to maintain the building, it requires a sophisticated energy system. The facility also wanted to promote conservation of natural resources, so energy efficient upgrades were an obvious solution. Showing visitors how they too can cut their energy usage by becoming energy efficient is also a goal of the project.
According to the article, the lighting and energy reduction project is one of 11 areas of operation that will be improved at the Shedd in the next five years.
When deciding what type of lighting upgrades will help your facility reduce energy usage, turn to Lumenistics. The company’s energy efficiency consultants specialists work with businesses to achieve energy reduction goals.