Activate Cellular was buying lots of lights for its 6,000 square-foot office and warehouse in Beaverton’s Nimbus Oaks office building.
“Our T12 lights were starting to get to the end of their life,” says Controller Clinton Keller. “We were probably replacing one a week.”
Help with up-front costs
Keller heard from PGE and his lamp supplier, Pacific Lamp, that T12s would be phased out in 2012, and that for a limited time the Energy Trust of Oregon was offering bonus incentive for upgrades to T8s. He acted quickly, getting bids for the project and passing the information on to his landlord.
“It wasn’t something they were thinking about,” Keller says. “They wanted us to renew our lease and were thinking monetary incentives. We said, ‘What can we work out that will have benefits for both of us?’”
They presented CB Richard Ellis with the research and bids for a lighting retrofit and an HVAC upgrade. The property management firm agreed and got their preferred contractor to match the bid Keller had.
Benefits for both
To Keller, it’s a win-win. “We’ll end up paying back these project costs through our triple-net charges,” he says, “but it’s great to have the landlord cover the costs up front. Some companies can’t afford to spend $10- or $15,000 on an HVAC project, for example, but spread it out over five or ten years and it becomes equitable.”
The landlord received the Energy Trust incentives that Keller says covered about 35 percent of the project. The upgrade improves the property’s value and is attractive to future tenants too. Now, CB Richard Ellis is using Activate as a test-lessee for an EPA efficiency program they’re considering.
“A lot of these 15- to 20-year-old buildings are hitting their lifespan for Class-A space right now,” Keller says. “Property managers and landlords are starting to see that efficiency upgrades like these are in their best interest, too.”
Real-life results at Activate Cellular
Measures implemented
Estimated annual electricity savings
- 6,753 kilowatt hours or about $550 per year
Financial incentives
Benefits
- Lower monthly energy bills
- Less maintenance
- Brighter, more consistent light
- No flickering or “wave” effect
- Install was quick and unobtrusive