New LED light bulbs have been installed at Aspen Elementary School Gymnasium. Photo Courtesy LAPS

New LED light bulbs have been installed at Aspen Elementary School Gymnasium. Photo Courtesy LAPS

LAPS NEWS

In a continued effort to introduce environmentally conscious practices, the Los Alamos Public Schools purposefully replace all fluorescent light bulbs with LED lights. LED bulbs are considered “green” because they are more energy efficient and have a longer life than typical fluorescent bulbs, which makes them cost–efficient in the long run. 

 The lights in Aspen Elementary’s gym were the first to be replaced. There has also been complete exterior retrofitting to LED at Los Alamos Middle School, Mesa Complex and Pueblo Complex. All were 250 Watt metal highlight lamps that were switched to 63 Watt LED bulbs. These fixtures use one-fifth of the energy to light the same square footage. 

“We look at where construction projects are and evaluate what is most cost effective,” said Facilities Director Tommy Castillo. All labor is performed in house by electricians in the LAPS Facilities Department led by Daniel Sanchez.

The focus now is on Griffith Gym, which is scheduled to be done in the spring of 2020. Castillo said that while the current bulbs are fairly energy efficient, replacing them with LEDs will reduce their energy output by more than half.  

Next in line after Griffith Gym is Mountain Elementary. The current fixtures consume 400 Watts and the new fixtures only consume 115 Watts, which will equate to over two-thirds of savings.

This is one example of the ongoing process to reduce waste and energy consumption across the district. In conjunction with the Facilities Department’s efforts, school staff have formed “Green Teams” to teach and implement environmentally conscious practices at their school sites. 

LAPS will continue to seek out and make sustainable choices wherever possible.