| Press Release Archive
Austin Energy receives grant to
install energy-efficient technology in exit signs
You can typically locate a lighted exit
sign to find your way out of a building. But you probably
don’t pay much attention to how that sign is lighted
as you make your way out the door.
In fact, it is estimated that there are
more than 1 million exit signs in buildings in the U.S. operating
every hour of the year – many with inefficient incandescent
bulbs – at a total energy cost of $1 billion.
Because incandescent exit signs use so much
electricity, Austin Energy has applied for and been awarded
a $90,859 grant from the Public Utility Commission of Texas
to retrofit 5,000 incandescent signs with energy-efficient,
Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology exit signs in commercial
buildings in Austin. The signs will save an estimated 1.2
million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, with a combined
savings to customers of more than $84,000 per year –
or about $16 to $17 savings per sign.
Standard exit signs typically have two 20-watt
lamps in each sign (a total of 40 watts) and last from 1,000
to 5,000 hours. The LED lamps use 1.5 to 2.5 watts per sign
and last for up to 100,000 hours (11 years). LED technology
consists of a semiconductor device that emits light when a
current passes through it. It is commonly found in computers
and other appliances to indicate the appliance is on.
Austin Energy plans to distribute and install
the retrofit kits in small and large businesses in Austin
to encourage businesses to retrofit their existing signs with
the newer technology. All 5,000 kits will be installed by
the end of the year. Many lighting stores in Austin carry
the kits for about $10 to $15 each. All exit signs in City
of Austin municipal buildings already have been retrofitted
with LED technology as part of a Citywide effort to conserve
energy. The Austin City Council is tentatively scheduled to
officially accept the grant at its August 7 meeting.
For more information, contact Ed
Clark, Public Information.
Phone: (512) 322-6514
Pager: (512) 802-2000 |
