Conserving energy, one
twist at a time
More than 40,000 light
bulbs being replaced
SEATTLE—October 22, 2007—Seattle
Housing Authority embarked on its largest electricity conservation
effort to date this month, putting into action an ambitious plan to
replace more than 40,000 traditional incandescent light bulbs with
more efficient compact fluorescent lights (CFLs).
The Housing Authority will be
obtaining the CFLs for use by residents under an agreement with
Seattle City Light’s Twist & Save program. Residents living at
Yesler Terrace, in Seattle Senior Housing Program buildings or Low
Income Public Housing high-rises, or in Scattered-Sites units will
be receiving CFLs for free under this program in the coming months.
“Using these compact fluorescent lights will decrease residents’
expenditures for electricity by as much as 20 percent over the life
of their CFLs,” said Jonathan Stine of Seattle Housing Authority’s
housing operations utilities management. “The typical CFL lasts six
to ten times longer than a regular bulb and offers greatly improved
efficiency.”
In addition to using 75 percent less energy, CFLs offer other
benefits, such as brighter light and better color rendition,
compared with the incandescent bulbs they are replacing. Unlike
other types of fluorescent lights, the latest generation of CFLs do
not flicker, hum or buzz.
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The distribution and installation of the first 7,500 CFLs is already
underway in the Yesler Terrace community. Because of the high
ceilings in many of the homes, installation is being done by Housing
Authority staff members at no charge. Following the work at Yesler
Terrace, the light bulb replacement project will extend to Seattle
Senior Housing Program buildings, Low Income Public Housing
high-rises and the Seattle Housing Authority’s Scattered-Sites
units. Residents will receive six new CFLs each, including two for
bathroom fixtures, two for dining room fixtures, and two more for
use in table or floor lamps. |
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Incandescent light bulb replacement begins at Yesler Terrace |
The CFL replacement project is the first electrical resource
conservation effort of this size undertaken by the Housing
Authority. It was inspired by the goals of the Seattle Climate
Partnership program, a voluntary pact among more than 50
Seattle-area employers to take action to reduce their own emissions,
with the goal of meeting or beating the global warming pollution
reduction target of the Kyoto Protocol.
“Seattle Housing Authority signed the Seattle Climate Partnership
agreement this spring and is now an active partner, as this project
demonstrates,” Stine said. “Not only will this project save Housing
Authority residents hundreds of thousands of dollars on their
electric bills and the initial cost of the CFLs, but it will also
prevent more than two million pounds of carbon dioxide from being
emitted into our atmosphere.”
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