Solution
As part of its green initiative to reduce energy use, MPHA upgraded exterior campus lighting at The Cedars, a large highrise complex that houses 500 residents, predominantly senior citizens. One 25-story and three 10-story buildings share common green space with walking paths and parking lots on a seven-acre site at Cedar Avenue and 6th Street.
Funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was used to replace high pressure sodium luminaires with energy efficient Cree® LED luminaires. MPHA received $18.2 million in ARRA funds which were added to MPHA’s Capital Fund Formula Grant. MPHA allocated $3.2 million of these funds to the Cedars Improvement Project. Approximately 97 percent of the MPHA’s funding is provided through federal subsidies and rents. The remaining three percent is provided by the City of Minneapolis.
MP Consultants, an electrical engineering consulting firm based in Plymouth, Minn. specified 68 Cree® area luminaires; 27 installed on 30-foot poles for parking lot lighting and 41 installed on 12-foot poles for pedestrian pathway lighting. The upgrade provides a reduction in energy use, virtually zero maintenance with no relamping necessary, and dramatically improved illumination. According to Jerry Welf, MPHA project manager, residents at The Cedars say they feel safer walking through parking lots and pathways after dark since the Cree luminaires were installed.