Chicago school district reduces lighting wattage by 40% with Acuity Brands integrated LED lighting and controls

Community Consolidated School District 59 in Illinois selected LED lighting and controls from Acuity Brands, Inc. (NYSE: AYI) to improve the overall learning environment in its schools. Graybar, the electrical distributor tasked with effectively keeping the project on schedule and within budget, outfitted a total of 480 classrooms across 14 of the district’s campuses with more than 5,000 VT Series LED luminaires from Lithonia Lighting®.

“We wanted to provide the classrooms with a sustainable and energy efficient lighting choice that would be standardized throughout the entire school district and yet able to be controlled on a classroom-by-classroom basis,” said Tony Rossi, Executive Director for facilities and operations for the district.

The new energy efficient lighting immediately reduced wattage used by 40 percent, which resulted in dramatically lower energy costs – even when classroom lights are left on. The school district also reduced maintenance costs attributed to lighting due to the long-lasting LEDs that do not need to be replaced nearly as often as the T8 fluorescents.

VT Series LED luminaires combine quality illumination, aesthetic design and advanced LED technology for a sustainable lighting solution in commercial buildings. The lighting was integrated with the nLight® control system from Acuity Controls to reduce energy usage while offering users flexible configurations to meet individual classroom needs.

“Research proves that optimal lighting environments improve student learning,” said Tricia Foster, Director, Education Vertical Market, Acuity Brands Lighting. “Furthermore, the Community Consolidated School District 59 project proves the right lighting and controls solution can maximize energy savings and help achieve a quick return on investment.”