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"We anticipate significant power savings as a result of ImbuTec’s installation of ALSI’s innovative lighting.” — Warden Ramon C. Rustin, Allegheny County Jail

Allegheny County Jail Installs Energy-Efficient LED Lighting

Reduces Power Costs and Improves Security Conditions

The Challenge

Allegheny County Jail exteriorThe Allegheny County Jail, a 900,000 square foot Pennsylvania facility that opened in 1996, faced expensive power and maintenance costs associated with lighting in the jail’s 35 inmate housing pods, and elsewhere in the facility. The jail also faced a security issue because the light fixtures hung from the ceiling in a manner that blocked some security camera views.

The existing lights were 2x2 High Intensity Discharge fixtures (HID), using a 250 watt metal halide lamp, with additional ballast wattage of 45 watts.

 

The Solution

The jail turned to Imbue Technology Solutions, Inc., the Western Pennsylvania local distributor for Appalachian Lighting Systems, Inc. (ALSI) to develop a cutting-edge lighting solution. ImbuTec evaluated the situation and replaced 805 inefficient fixtures with innovative 2x2 recess lay-in LED fixtures running on just 48 watts. 

The new fixtures consume about 83% less energy than those they replaced, and have an expected life of 20-25 years. These LEDs are highly-durable for the 24-hour operating requirements of the jail environment.

 

The Results

The project began in November of 2008 and was completed by early March 2009.

The jail’s expected annual power cost savings from this project is $178,000, in addition to significant operational savings that will be realized by minimizing much higher maintenance costs associated with the original lighting.  

The jail also was able to alleviate an important security issue by clearing the impeded camera views. Additionally, the new fixtures offer great maintenance convenience, snapping replacement parts into place in the field utilizing ALSI’s patented “rapid change” technology.  It is not anticipated that there will be a need for replacement parts for many many years, but the products are designed in a way that the component parts can be replaced in the field versus replacing the entire fixture.