Georgia Southern University to Save $350,000 in Energy Efficiency

June 19, 2014

Representatives from Georgia Power present a rebate check to Georgia Southern University’s Housing department on Wednesday, June 18. The rebate was a result of the Commercial Energy Efficiency Program, an initiative to help companies reduce energy use and costs. From left: Eddie Mills, associate vice president of Auxiliary Services; GUS; Tan Adams, Georgia Power area manager; Jamarcus Brewer, coastal region account manager of ICF International; Jesse Hopkins, electrical supervisor; Chris MacDonald, executive director of University Housing and Elke Dennis, procurement specialist.

Georgia Southern University will save more than $350,000 over a five-year period by using light emitting diode (LED) bulbs instead of standard incandescent bulbs in eight of the campus housing complexes.

The University partnered with Georgia Power through the company’s Commercial Energy Efficiency Program, an initiative to help companies reduce energy use and costs by offering rebates.

“I met this opportunity with excitement and a little disbelief,” said Jesse Hopkins, electrical supervisor. “To be honest, it sounded too good to be true. I think we asked a few times, ‘So, if we spend $77,700, you’re going to pay us $77,700 right?”

Over a four-week period, 10 Facility Services’ staff members worked to change out 10,000 standard 60-watt incandescent light bulbs to LED bulbs, thereby reducing energy consumption from 60-watts to 10-watts per bulb.

“We are proud of what Georgia Southern is doing and we want every customer to use every kilowatt hour that we deliver to them efficiently,” said Tan Adams, Georgia Power area manager for Statesboro. “These rebate programs are a way that we encourage our partners to take advantage of the most recent, energy efficient technologies. By doing this, they’re not only saving money, but also investing back into our community.”

Members and affiliates from Georgia Power presented a check to the University for nearly $78,000 – the largest rebate Georgia Southern has received to date, and the same amount required to purchase the light bulbs initially.

“Georgia Southern is actually one of the larger schools in all of the Board of Regents to participate in this rebate program and take advantage of it,” said Jamarcus Brewer, coastal region account manager of ICF International, the firm contracted by Georgia Power to manage the day-to-day operations of the rebate program. “We’ve upgraded between 40 and 45 buildings on campus and I’ve worked with a number of Georgia Southern staff to help them with rebate applications for lighting upgrades, roofing and a number of measures,” he said.

Since 2012, Georgia Southern through its partnership with Georgia Power has received more than $140,000 in energy efficient rebates.