Energy efficient lighting leads to Seattle savings

It pays to be green. Seattle City Light, the city’s municipal electric company, recently presented a check for $443,000 to the Seattle District, a rebate for installing new lighting at the Seattle Processing and Distribution Center.

The new lighting uses significantly less energy, provides better illumination and uses longer-lasting bulbs — not to mention brighter working conditions for Postal Service employees. The annual savings from the new lights for the 600,000-square-foot building are projected at $180,000 a year.

More than money was saved. The new lights conserve more than 3 million kilowatt hours a year, easing Seattle’s energy demand. The electricity saved is enough to power 338 homes in Seattle for a year.

One more plus — the glass and the metal from the old light fixtures have been recycled.