Green Lights Program Saves $15 Million and Reduces Pollution through Energy-Efficient Lighting

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green Lights program, a voluntary pollution prevention program, has saved $15 million by participating Southeast businesses. The program, which promotes energy-efficient lighting, has also enrolled 20 new members, indicating an additional potential savings of $14 million. The new partners include prominent organizations such as Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp., Burger King, and The Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Key Takeaways:

• The Green Lights program has saved $15 million by participating Southeast businesses, with an additional $14 million potential savings from 20 new members.
• The program has enrolled over 1,800 organizations, including 120 Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations, universities, hospitals, and federal, state, and local governments.
• Green Lights promotes energy-efficient lighting to reduce electricity use, related air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions, with a significant impact on regional initiatives addressing air pollutant deposition into fragile ecosystems.
• Participants can save up to 50% on their electricity bills and achieve an internal rate of return of more than 30% on their lighting investments.
• The program prevents pollution from power plants, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 120,000 tons per year, sulfur dioxide emissions by 1,030 tons per year, and nitrogen oxide emissions by 440 tons per year.
• The reduction in carbon dioxide emissions alone equates to saving 46,600 acres of trees per year.

Statistics:

• $15 million saved by participating Southeast businesses
• $14 million potential savings from 20 new members
• 1,800 organizations enrolled in the program
• 120 Fortune 500 companies participating in the program
• 20-25% of total electricity use in the United States attributed to lighting
• 50% reduction in electricity bills achieved by participating in the program
• Excess of 30% internal rate of return achieved by participating in the program
• 120,000 tons per year of carbon dioxide emissions reduced
• 1,030 tons per year of sulfur dioxide emissions reduced
• 440 tons per year of nitrogen oxide emissions reduced
• 46,600 acres of trees saved per year due to reduced carbon dioxide emissions

Sources:

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• "EPA Region 4 Today Announces 20 New Members Join Green Lights." Business Wire, July 21, 1995.