ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. —
AMF Bowling is showing that saving energy can be easier than picking up a 7-10 split: this summer, bowling alleys across the country will be undergoing energy efficiency retrofits with the help of
Lime Energy.
So far, AMF and Lime Energy have completed retrofits of 43 bowling alleys, starting with sites in Texas, California, New York, Florida, Michigan, Oregon and Washington state. When the project is completed this fall, a total of 286 locations will receive energy efficient overhauls.
The retrofits will focus on converting lighting over the lanes and in lobbies to highly energy efficient next-generation fluorescent lights.
"The new lights require about one-half the energy and will not need to be changed for at least three years, which also saves maintenance costs," said Burke Ewers, Lime Energy's VP of Sales. "As we complete the lighting work, we are seeing other opportunities to save energy in a bowling center, so there are definitely more cost-efficient steps to take."
All told, the company expects to save $3 million per year in energy costs, and the payback time for the project will be less than two years.
Lighting has been a key feature of energy-saving initiatives in recent weeks. Earlier this month, utility company Commonwealth Edison reported that its efficiency program had
saved more than $20 million in utility costs in the past year. And at the New York Times headquarters in Manhattan, energy efficient lighting performed
70 percent better than expected, saving $30,000 per year per floor in electricity costs.
Photo CC-licensed by Flickr user waterwin.
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