WINSTON-SALEM, N.C–With Earth Day 2017 this past weekend, Truliant Federal Credit Union said it is recognizing the completion of a major environmental facilities milestone.
Truliant recently completed the retrofit and replacement of 1,169 fixtures and bulbs with LED lighting at its 120,000 square foot headquarters in Winston-Salem. The achievement is grounded in its goal to pass cost savings onto its members, TFCU said.
In December, Truliant began the LED replacement project at its headquarters. Each of the LED bulbs has a service life of 100,000 hours. The credit union said it estimates that the conversion will result in:
• Estimated annual savings on energy bills of 25%, as well as a significant reduction in maintenance costs.
• Realized annual savings in excess of $30,000.
• Return on investment for maintenance and power consumption outpacing 2.5 years’ performance projections.
“We are committed to integrating sustainability into both our employee and member service experience and the development of environmentally responsible strategies and practices,” said Chad Frye, vice president of facilities and administrative services. “Eliminating incandescent lighting can have a major impact on our planet as well as an enhanced working environment.”
Truliant said it began piloting the LED conversion project in 2014 with the replacement of interior lighting at its Clemmons facility and exterior Truliant Way pole lighting. Later that year, it began introducing LED lighting at its Whitaker Square and Charlotte Member Financial Center expansion locations.
The credit union said its partner for fixture, ballast and bulb replacement at existing facilities was Carolina Signs and Lighting. ArchSTUDIO 7 was responsible for the project in Truliant’s 10 new Charlotte-area expansion locations.
“Moving Truliant’s facilities to LED lighting provides several benefits beyond cost savings,” the credit union said. “There is no warm up period for LED lighting, and LED lighting lumens as well as color has more consistency, which creates a better working environment. Due to the reduction in heat caused by florescent lighting and ballast required to drive them, LED lighting also reduces stress on HVAC systems and improves overall efficiency when cooling during summer months.”
The credit union said it plans to retrofit all facilities and exterior lighting across its 33-branch footprint. Truliant made a $400,000 total investment in the LED lighting and fixture retrofit across its branch footprint. It also worked with Duke Energy to maximize its rebate for the retrofit.
The credit union said it plans to replace remaining accent lighting at its headquarters. It also continues to work on several other sustainability projects.
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