Pleasanton Library Cuts Lighting Energy

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The Pleasanton (Calif.) Public Library is a 30,000-square-foot, single-story building that serves just under a million visitors annually. It features multiple skylights and large windows that supply an abundance of natural light. However, adjusting light levels to meet building users’ needs was not possible. The library’s lights were constantly on from the arrival of the first staff in the morning until the last person left at night. In July 2011, Adura Technologies aided the library in a lighting retrofit project that enabled the library to significantly reduce energy costs.

Before the project, the library’s 661 light fixtures were on an average of 13 hours per day, seven days per week, costing the city approximately $46,000 each year in electricity. The retrofit project included both a lamp and ballast retrofit and the installation of a wireless lighting controls system. Julie Farnsworth, Director of Pleasanton Library Services, said “Their staff helped us translate service needs-like dimming the lights before closing-into preprogrammed responses. We love that any light can be dimmed and that our 1988 building now takes advantage of daylight in ways it couldn’t before.” The project installation was completed in about one month.

The installation of Adura’s technology to retrofit the lighting system in their facility has seen a 46% reduction in energy usage. Farnsworth explained, “As are most librarians, the staff and I are very dedicated to reducing our building’s environmental impact. The work of Adura was doubly helpful in that it saved money as well as reduced our ecological footprint.”