Monday, February 04, 2008
Governor Culver Praises State For Saving Money With Energy Efficient Bulbs
Changes in Capitol Dome and House and Senate will save more than $30,000
(DES MOINES, Iowa) — Today, Gov. Chet Culver praised the energy and money-saving effort at the State Capitol. Last week, the last of 1,200 conventional incandescent light bulbs were replaced with the newest generation of cold cathode compact fluorescent bulbs in the Capitol dome and the House and Senate chambers. The Governor’s office made the switch late last year. The state’s efforts are highlighted in a recent article in the Business Record.
Governor Culver said, “The amount of energy savings is significant. In addition to conserving energy and limiting the amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere, the lifetime savings to Iowa taxpayers is $30,152. It’s not only environmentally responsible to make this simple change, it’s fiscally responsible as well. And I’m proud that the state of Iowa is leading the way.”
The Department of Administrative Services is working with MidAmerican Energy on an energy study that will provide other potential energy savings programs for the Capitol complex. The average lifetime of the cold cathode CFL bulbs is 5.2 years. As the new bulbs burn out, a contracted recycling company will recycle them. DNR officials say it’s important for consumers to properly recycle these light bulbs.
Brian Tormey with the DNR said, “We encourage Iowans to use regional collection centers for household hazardous waste to properly dispose of the new bulbs. There are discussions about retail take-back programs, so in the future consumers can return them at the place they purchased them.”
By the numbers**:
98,332 kilowatt-hours: Annual energy savings
516,000 kWh: Lifetime energy savings
$30,152: Lifetime cost savings
159,296 pounds: Annual CO2 savings
$6.85*: Cost of each cold cathode CFL bulb
5.2 years: Average bulb lifetime
* after MidAmerican rebate of $3.89 per bulb
** provided by Iowa Department of Administrative Services