Alpine Bank

Making the Switch to LEDs In addition to the Grand Junction office tower, Alpine Bank is converting to LED lighting across the Alpine Bank footprint. Alpine Bank has worked extensively with One Source Lighting on this project. One Source Lighting distributes LED lamps and is an Xcel Energy Trade Partner, meeting Xcel Energy's efficiency standards and working with Xcel to offer the most rebates possible to qualifying customers. In the past year, the bank retrofitted outdated lighting in the Central Operations (Central Ops) building in Rifle, at branches in Snowmass Village and Avon, as well as in parking lot lamps throughout Alpine Bank locations where it was expedient. Inside the Central Ops building, Alpine Bank upgraded all light fixtures and dimmer switches and converted from T8 three- and four-lamp fluorescent fixtures to LED fixtures. These modifications resulted in a significant reduction in energy and energy costs: The previous system used approximately 32.55 kW while the new system uses 9.21 kW. The estimated operating cost went from $11,795 to $3,169—a projected savings of $8,626 yearly. The bank saw savings not only in operating expenses, but also in reduced maintenance costs. At the Snowmass Village branch, Alpine Bank retrofitted the beam lights from T8 fluorescent light bulbs to LED lamps. In Avon, Alpine Bank retrofitted all the exterior lighting from incandescent and T12 high-output lamps to LEDs. The bank has also retrofitted parking lot lamps throughout the company from high-pressure sodium lamps to LEDs. "LED has turned the lighting world upside down," according to Matt Thesing, owner of One Source Lighting. The cost of LEDs is decreasing as demand increases and manufacturing processes become more efficient. According to Thesing, switching to to LEDs delivers a fast energy savings as the bulbs can reduce energy consumption by as much as 90 percent and have ratings up to 50,000 hours. Not all LEDs are created equal. When purchasing LED lighting, look for warm color temperatures for the home and cooler temperatures for work environments. Also, consider the hours of life, the LED wattage versus the incandescent wattage, whether the bulb or fixture is dimmable and the warranty on the bulb or fixture. 4

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