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Project Ideas: Exit Sign survey and feasibility study for replacements with
LED
Research questions:
- How much energy does one exit sign use?
- How much energy do the exit signs in one building use?
- How often do the bulbs need maintenance?
- How much do LED or compact fluorescent replacements cost?
- How much energy would such a replacement save?
- How often would the new bulbs need replacement?
- What is the projected payback for the replacement?
Strategy:
- Choose a building
- Count how many exit signs are in the building
- Ask maintenance personnel for help: what kind of bulbs do they use?
- Research: how much energy does each bulb use? What is the lifespan? How
much does this cost?
- Calculate: energy use for all the signs in the building
- Research: What kinds of replacements are available? Find out price,
lifespan, energy use
- Calculate: What would be the cost of buying (and installing) the chosen
replacements in that particular building?
- Calculate: What would be the energy savings? What would be the cost
savings?
- Calculate: How long is the payback?
- Report: Summarize conclusions, articulate suggestions, etc.
- Report: Present to Sustainable Campus Task Force. Give a copy of written
results to operations/maintenance department with results and suggestions
highlighted.
Additional:
Have you answered the research questions? What further questions
arose from this study? Suggest: Should additional studies be
undertaken? If so, with the same method, or with another method?
Be sure to detail your study methods so they can be replicated if necessary.
Research case studies: What other schools have undertaken such a
study? What were the results?
Keep bibliography and details of sources (make sure someone else can
follow your paper trail! Where can replacement bulbs be purchased?
What if someone wanted to contact another school such as the one you
found for the case study?)
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