Carver County Government Center Exterior Lighting Improvement

Abstract

This project was completed as part of a year-long partnership between Carver County and the University of Minnesota’s Resilient Communities Project (http://www.rcp.umn.edu). Carver County has been exploring opportunities for renewable energy and energy efficiency in county government buildings. The Carver County Government Center in Chaska was a potential candidate for a renewable energy installation, specifically exterior solar lights. The goal of this project was to determine the feasibility and potential payback time for exterior solar lighting and other energy-efficient lighting systems at the Carver County Government Center. In collaboration with the county project lead, Nick Koktavy, a team of students in BBE 5733: Renewable Energy Technologies, examined three scenarios--conversion of exterior lights to LED, installation of solar-powered lights, and a combination of both LEDs and solar power--and concluded that installing LEDs alone was the most cost-effective solution. A final report and PowerPoint slides from the project are available.