Mount Vernon Fire Department saves money on utilities with LED lights
MOUNT VERNON – Some exciting eco-friendly updates have been taking place this past year at the Mount Vernon Fire Department. The MVFD was one of the recipients of a Citywide AEP rebate to update lighting to LED lights in 2019. The light-emitting diode (LED) is one of today’s most energy-efficient and rapidly developing lighting technologies. For 2020, MVFD saw savings in their electric utility bill of $2,100.
“This is like getting a 12 percent increase on an investment,” said Chad Christopher, MVFD Fire Chief. “It’s also reduced the time we had to take in changing out the light bulbs which saves on worker hours as well.”
Quality LED light bulbs last longer, are more durable, and offer comparable or better light quality than other types of lighting. LED lights are free of all harsh chemicals and they do not emit UV rays. LED lights are also 100% recyclable and can significantly reduce the carbon footprint. With one LED light able to do the work of roughly 25 incandescent light bulbs over its lifetime, LED lights also help save on materials and production. Considering that 600 fluorescent bulbs were recycled, the cost savings and the good it will do for the environment over time will be substantial.
The City of Mount Vernon has made similar changes to the other public buildings and expects to see savings there as well through touchless light switches using motion detection. “It only makes sense for us to invest in this newer technology,” said Mayor Matt Starr. “Coupled with the smart technology that we recently installed in public buildings, we are poised to see more savings over the years to come.”
Our City Officials and the Mount Vernon Fire Department continue to think of ways to find cost savings. More information about the MVFD can be found at MountVernonOhio.org as well as on Facebook.