From the North Carolina Estuarium

In an effort to reduce its carbon footprint and save money, the North Carolina Estuarium recently converted all its exhibit and outside lighting to highly efficient LED bulbs and fixtures. Made possible with a generous grant from the Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Family Foundation, this project promises to save the Estuarium up to 10 percent on monthly electricity costs and over a thousand dollars in light bulb expenses over the next decade or more.

“Museum exhibits by design require intensive lighting,” said Estuarium manager Tom Stroud. “Even as a relatively small facility, we’ve got over 60 major fixtures and many other smaller ones, plus over 20 outside lights. The incandescent bulbs we’d been using since we opened in 1998 not only consume a lot of energy, but they also have to be replaced every few months. Converting to LEDs will save us money, time, and electricity, so it’s a win-win-win.”

LEDs require up to 80 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs for equivalent light and are designed to last at least 10 years. Stroud said these attributes made the idea of switching to LEDs desirable, but the expense was a deterrent.

“Quality LEDs cost upwards of $20 for a single bulb,” he noted. “Since we needed to change the exhibit bulbs all at one time in order to avoid an odd mix of light tones, there was no way we could afford to do this on our own. Fortunately, the Smith Family Foundation saw value both in the project’s environmental goals and in the Estuarium’s overall mission of promoting stewardship of regional waterways, so they stepped in and supported us. We’re extremely grateful for their help and their commitment to this region.”

The changeover was completed during the first week of September. Evening strollers on Washington’s waterfront may have already noticed the bright new LEDs now illuminating the Estuarium along the promenade.

“Our lighting is less expensive, longer lasting, more efficient and brighter inside and out than it was a week ago,” Stroud said. “I’m really hoping I’ll be retired before we ever have to change or even buy another light bulb.”