Maintenance installs new LED lights on campus

Union’s maintenance plans to shine new lights on campus.

Maintenance is in the process of changing the current outside lights that illuminate the pathways to light-emitting diodes, or LED lights. According to David McBride, director of facilities management, the decision to switch to LED lights was made mainly to save both money and energy.

“Overall, we will cut the whole total operation cost of the fixtures down,” said McBride.

LED lighting can be more efficient, durable, versatile and longer-lasting than the incandescent bulbs currently in use. The life of a LED light is 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb. While an incandescent bulb will burn 1,200 hours, a LED light will burn 50,000 hours. The cost of a LED bulb is three times more than an incandescent, but if you compare that to the number of hours that the LED burns, the good outweighs the bad, McBride said.

Not only are they switching the lights on the outside pathways, but they are potentially  changing the inside lights as well, McBride said.

“We are looking at [changing the lights] now on the spotlights in Harvey Hall,” he said.

Another benefit is that LED lights do not contain Mercury, a toxic metal that attacks the central nervous system. The alternative lighting options, metal haylights and incandescent lights, both contain at least small amounts.

David Parks, junior digital media communications major, said he cannot wait for all of the lights around campus to be replaced.

“I have always been fascinated with LED lights,” said Parks, “I think it’s the lighting of the future.”

According to Parks, this is one of the ways that maintenance is making Union’s campus a better place.

McBride said the end goal is simply to give students the best college experience possible.

“We really care about our students here on campus,” he said.