AMARILLO, Texas (May 13, 2021) – Amarillo’s Downtown Athletic Club has bulked up lighting efficiency throughout its facility while reducing monthly electricity costs through an Xcel Energy rebate program that encourages the use of LED illumination.
Some of the most noticeable changes at this busy downtown gym are on the basketball and racquetball courts where new LED lighting provides a brighter and more directed light, enhancing the workout experience, said Mike Hodge, building engineer for the Hodge Management Group.
“It’s a win-win deal for us, especially with the rebate,” Hodge said.
A growing list of businesses and attractions across Xcel Energy’s Texas-New Mexico service area have taken advantage of LED rebates over the past few years, benefitting from the superior light of LEDs and the fact that they use at least 75% less energy than traditional lighting and last 25 times longer. Energy savings translates into lower monthly bills, which is especially appealing to large facilities where lighting is a large part of monthly energy costs. And though LEDs can be more expensive up front, the rebate can be applied to make a retrofit more affordable.
“LEDs provide instant light at full brightness while emitting a more directed light using less energy,” said Bryan Whitson, product portfolio manager for Xcel Energy in Amarillo. “These benefits are even more apparent in a setting such as the Downtown Athletic Club because our eyes take in a large amount of visual information at once when we’re engaged in activities such as basketball and racquetball, and LEDs provide superior clarity.”
In addition to providing better light, LEDs also provide benefits such as:
• A reduction in lighting replacement and maintenance costs because new lamps and ballasts have
a longer rated life.
• Improved air conditioning efficiency because updated electronic ballasts produce less heat than
standard ballasts.
• A reduction in the number of light fixtures needed.
• The ability to install controls as part of a lighting system and use lights only when and where
needed.
• Conservation of natural resources and a reduction in pollution as less energy is needed to
operate LEDs.
Xcel Energy uses approved contractors to guide customers through the retrofit process and verify the potential savings from investing in energy-efficient lighting. The retrofit at Downtown Athletic Club has reduced the facility’s total electric demand and is expected to cut more than 140,000 kilowatt-hours of usage annually. Based on these projected savings, Downtown Athletic Club received a rebate of close to $12,000 to offset the cost of the retrofit.
Xcel Energy offers several efficiency programs that help customers save money by using electricity more efficiently. More information on these programs can be found at www.xcelenergyefficiency.com.
About Xcel Energy: Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) provides the energy that powers millions of homes and businesses across eight Western and Midwestern states. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the company is an industry leader in responsibly reducing carbon emissions and producing and delivering clean energy solutions from a variety of renewable sources at competitive prices. For more information, visit xcelenergy.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
