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Deer Path Middle School green team proposes LED retrofit to cut energy, save about $650 a year
Summary
Students from Deer Path Middle School presented a Green Team project to retrofit 24 emergency troffer fixtures with LEDs, citing a one-time cost estimate of $2,451.36, roughly $2,515 in committed fundraising, and projected annual savings of about $651.79.
Students from Deer Path Middle School’s Green Team presented a proposal to the Lake Forest SD 67 board to retrofit 24 of 40 hallway emergency troffers with LED fixtures this summer, saying the change would reduce energy use and carbon output while yielding cost savings.
Nicole Birmingham, a co-sponsor of the club, introduced the team and said the group has grown to more than 30 active members. A student who spoke for the team summarized the Illinois Green Schools Project self-assessment and the retrofit plan, saying the team’s combined score on the self-assessment totaled 31.5. The students described previous initiatives including cafeteria composting, wildfire fundraising and participation in a garden fair.
The Green Team presented a financial overview that listed a fixture unit cost and a total retrofit investment of $2,451.36 for 24 troffers and reported $1,000 from one source, another $1,000 from a second source, and $515 from the Spirit fund. “We got $1,000 from 1 source, another $1,000 from another, and $515 from the Spirit,” a student stated during the presentation. The students asked to schedule installation over the summer in coordination with other building construction.
Board members voiced appreciation for the student-led approach. The presentation included projected performance figures: students estimated about a 64.5% reduction in power use compared with the current fluorescents and annual savings of roughly $651.79 for the 24 fixtures. The student presenters credited Tim Dunn for donating electrician knowledge and labor to install the lights.
The board did not take a formal vote on funding during the meeting; the presentation was accepted as a spotlight report and the Green Team took a photo with the board at the close of the segment.
