AMARILLO, Texas (Oct. 3, 2018) – Amarillo’s Kids, Inc. is constantly seeking ways to trim expenses and channel more of its donor dollars toward the mission of providing area children and youth with more opportunities to participate in sports.
With Xcel Energy’s LED lighting rebate program, Kids, Inc. turned its own electric bill into a regular donor and brightened its 32,000 square foot facility in southeast Amarillo at the same time.
“Our facility provides a space for staff offices, training and warehousing shirts and equipment used in more than 23 different sporting activities in Amarillo alone,” said Jimmy Lackey, Kids, Inc. president and CEO. “These activities require a lot of interior light for many hours every week, plus we have no natural light in this facility. By switching to LED lighting, we’ve improved our quality of light and we anticipate lower monthly bills moving forward.”
The Amarillo-based nonprofit recently retrofitted interior lighting with LED tube lighting that will shave more than 16 kilowatts from the facility’s electricity demand, and reduce annual electricity usage by more than 76,000 kilowatt-hours – equivalent to a month’s electricity consumption of 76 typical homes in the region. In addition to receiving the benefit of lower bills, Kids, Inc. also received a rebate on the cost of installing the lights.
Xcel Energy uses approved contractors to work with business and residential customers to improve their efficiency, and the Kids, Inc. project was managed in partnership with Cain Electrical Supply, an Xcel Energy-approved lighting contractor in Amarillo. LED lighting is a leading way to maximize energy dollars because LEDs are the most energy-efficient bulb on the market. LEDs use up to 80 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and last up to 25 years.
“LED lighting doesn’t emit the heat traditional lighting does, which helps air conditioning units run more efficiently,” said Bryan Whitson, an energy use specialist with Xcel Energy in Amarillo. “They do not contain mercury, which is an environmental hazard, and do not produce any ultraviolet light. They provide instant light at full brightness, no warm-up time needed, and emit a more directed light with less energy.”
Residential and commercial electric customers in Texas have a suite of energy efficiency and load management programs available to help save money and energy. While Xcel Energy manages the energy-saving incentives, programs are delivered through what is called a “Standard Offer Program,”
which simply means customers receive services through specially selected independent Energy Efficiency Service Providers. Visit www.xcelefficiency.com (external link) for details about these programs, including program manuals, service provider project sponsor lists and more. For additional questions, contact Bryan Whitson, Xcel Energy Program Manager, at (806) 378-2887 or Bryan.J.Whitson@xcelenergy.com.
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About Xcel Energy
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