Annual savings of $70,000+ expected as U of I takes on biggest green project ever

Renaissance Lighting, a leading innovator in the development and manufacture of energy-efficient, solid-state LED luminaires, is proud to support the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, birthplace of the Light Emitting Diode (LED) in completing its largest sustainable energy/energy-saving lighting project to date at the University’s Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.

The centerpiece of the almost 600 fixture solid-state lighting initiative is Krannert Center’s lobby, a mammoth 25,000 square foot space shared by four separate theater and concert venues. For 40 years this lobby has been illuminated by 625 energy-gulping incandescent light fixtures, consuming nearly 573.8 million watts annually.

“The university is a huge proponent of the green movement and we view Krannert Center as the crown jewel in that effort,” said Michael Williams, Krannert Center’s lighting director. “We’re focused on saving energy and sustainable energy initiatives, and if you look at how this project is being funded, all of the dots are green and they connect perfectly. The Renaissance Lighting luminaires provide us with energy efficiency and great cost savings in many areas and contain capabilities providing us incredible creativity and flexibility.” he said.
Half of the project funding is grant money from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, according to Williams. The balance of the funding is a seven-year, zero-interest loan from the university’s Student Sustainability Committee whose income stems from a $2 clean energy fee that students pay every semester. Williams noted that the Krannert Center lighting project is the first major green effort to be backed financially by the student group.

By retrofitting the Krannert Center lobby ceiling with Renaissance Lighting luminaires, energy consumption will decrease dramatically – by about 460 million watts annually,” said Renaissance Lighting CEO, Barry Weinbaum. “By spending less on electricity and along with the impressive longevity of our luminaires, we expect Krannert Center will realize annual savings greater than $70,000 annually. The quality of the light produced by our fixtures surpasses any incandescent or fluorescent fixture on the market as each luminaire provides a glare-free, superior light throw and eliminates “hot spots”. Also, our color changing products provide for both efficiency and creativity unique to the lighting industry,” Weinbaum said.

Krannert Center can anticipate additional savings due to the fact that solid-state LED luminaires produce virtually no heat below the suspended ceiling where they are installed. By contrast, 90 percent of the energy consumed by incandescent bulbs is in the form of heat rather than light, which in turn increases air conditioning load and related costs. LED Luminaires far outlast their incandescent counterparts; 50,000-70,000 hours versus 2,000 hours for incandescent bulbs, thereby eliminating frequent and costly light replacement.

A key feature of the Renaissance Lighting color changing luminaires is the ability to produce more than 16.5 million different colors including white. Each fixture incorporates a circular array of RGB (red, green and blue) LEDs that illuminate in a color mixing dome before the blended light exits the fixture – a patented design called Constructive Occlusion™. Each fixture can be individually addressed with the entire illuminated space optionally controlled by Renaissance Lighting’s Rhapsody™ Color Management System, which consists of controller hardware and proprietary software for creating dynamic effects such as color intensity, cross-fading and rainbow washes.

The simplicity of Renaissance Lighting’s Rhapsody Color Management technology relieves Krannert Center personnel from countless hours of tediously inserting multi-colored theatrical gels into and out of individual light fixtures in preparation for many of the 350 performing arts functions and the 100-plus special lobby functions held each year, which include weddings, corporate gatherings, receptions and private parties.