Dudley Greeley, environmental and economic sustainability coordinator, has a mission. He swoops into University departments where cheap light bulbs dwell. He takes those bulbs that overheat an area. He deftly changes the dull energy-absorbing bulbs and replaces them with compact fluorescent bulbs. He’s the CleanLights Program man.
The CleanLights Program was organized in October.
“I started the program to help University staff make the connection between our lighting choices and the quality of our environment, as well as helping save money,” Greeley said.
The fluorescent bulbs cost more than their incandescent counterparts, but provide high-quality light for a fraction of the total cost, he said.
These compact fluorescent bulbs also minimize the amount of energy used and heat produced.
“They are cooler. For the same amount of light, they produce only about one-fourth as much heat as incandescent bulbs,” he said.
Greeley said CleanLights will help save the University over 75 percent on the cost of providing lighting service.
“The University electric bill is approximately $2 million. Students pay half that from tuition and the other half is paid by taxpayers,” Greeley said.
“You can expect this bulb to last 10,000 hours,” he said. “You would have to use 10 incandescent bulbs to provide the light service offered by one compact fluorescent bulb.”
The University has already saved money. Besides reducing University costs, Greeley encourages the USM community to bring the CleanLights project to their homes.
Although the compact fluorescent bulbs are compared to typical 60-watt bulbs ($7 versus 50 cents a bulb), in the long run there will be savings.
Greeley’s electric bill is usually under $20 a month. “I have the normal houseful of electric gadgets, appliances and a 17-year-old daughter.”
Greeley wants the community to see the overall substantial savings.
“For every 100 bulbs, you are saving more than $5,000. You screw one of these bulbs in, you save $30. At the University, if you screw in one of these bulbs, you save $60 over the life of the bulb,” he said.