PSE Encourages Business Customers to Take Advantage of Cash Incentives for Replacing T12 Lighting During 2011

Puget Sound Energy is encouraging business customers who are still using inefficient T12 fluorescent lighting to take advantage of 2011 rebates to upgrade to higher-efficiency T8 lighting. Changes in federal regulations expected during 2012 mean that rebates and grants to upgrade from T12 lighting will most likely be eliminated after this year.

The Bonneville Power Administration estimates that approximately 25 percent of the Northwest’s commercial environments are still lit with inefficient T12 fluorescent lamps. When designed and installed correctly, energy-efficient lighting upgrades can result in significant energy and cost savings for businesses.

Because lighting can make up 40 to 70 percent of a small business’s energy use, upgrading to efficient lighting can be one of the quickest, cheapest and easiest ways for small businesses to save energy and money.

How do businesses know if they are still using T12 lighting? By the diameter of the lamp size; T12 lamps are 12/8 or 1 1/2 inches in diameter while T8 lamps are 8/8 or one inch in diameter. Lamp size is also stamped at one end of the tube with “T12” or “T8” included in the code, you may see something like this F40T12CW/ES.

Though upgrading to energy-efficient lighting is easy, it isn’t as simple as only changing out the lamp. When upgrading fixtures from T12 to T8, the fixture’s ballast must also be replaced. Although an efficient T8 lamp installed into T12 ballasted fixture may illuminate, the quality of light output will be compromised as well as the expected lifespan of the lamp. Energy use may also increase if the installed lamp and ballast are not compatible.

Small businesses (PSE’s schedule 24 and schedule 8 electric customers) can receive funding for T12 to T8 conversions through PSE’s small-business lighting program. Larger businesses and other nonresidential customers can receive funding through the utility’s custom grant program.

For more information, visit PSE.com/ForYourBusiness or contact a PSE Energy Advisor at 1-800-562-1482.

Added on 05/04/2011

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