Bright minds now learn under brighter, more efficient lights in NC Stateās largest general education classroom.
Over the summer, Witherspoon Student Center Room 117 received a major lighting upgrade. Dimmable LED fixtures replaced more than 50 fluorescent and incandescent lights in the 455-seat auditorium.
Compared to the old lights, the new lights are 50 percent brighter and use one-eighth of the energy.
“We were able to achieve great energy savings because of the conversion to dimmable LED fixtures, which allowed us to remove a number of expendable, inefficient lights,” said Kerby Smithson, an energy program coordinator with NC State Energy Management.
The new lights will save more than $2,000 in electricity costs each year. The project also improves lighting controls and adds surge protection, which protects the lighting investment.
The project was funded by Energy Management and Campus Enterprises, which operates campus student centers. Other project partners include Capital Project Management, Construction Services and Classtech.
āThis project was another example of the partnership between Facilities and Campus Enterprises to enhance the physical environment for our campus community,ā said TJ Willis, associate director of Campus Enterprisesā University Student Centers.
When not in use as a classroom, Witherspoon 117 houses the campus cinema and is a popular location for campus events.