January 10, 2014 is the deadline for submissions to be recognized by the Lighting Energy Efficiency in Parking (LEEP) Campaign, a coalition of organizations including the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International, the International Facility Managers Association (IFMA), the Green Parking Council, an affiliate of the International Parking Institute (IPI), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
IPI has long advocated sustainability best practices among its members, and encourages parking facility owners and operators to participate in the LEEP campaign to showcase their efforts to incorporate high-efficiency lighting.
Lighting upgrades undertaken in both retrofit and new construction projects since January 2010 will be considered in 12 categories:
For Lighting Retrofits of Single Parking Facilities
1. Highest absolute annual savings in a parking lot.
2. Highest percentage savings in a parking lot.
3. Highest absolute annual savings in a parking structure.
4. Highest percentage savings in a parking structure.
For Lighting in New Construction Projects of Single Parking Facilities
5. Highest absolute annual savings in a parking lot.
6. Highest percentage savings in a parking lot.
7. Highest absolute annual savings in a parking structure.
8. Highest percentage savings in a parking structure.
Other Award Categories
9. Best use of lighting controls in a single facility.
10. Largest number of facility projects.
11. Largest percentage of facility projects (must have a minimum of five facilities to qualify).
12. Largest portfolio-wide annual absolute energy savings.
To encourage owners and managers who are considering installing high-efficiency lighting, LEEP also provides tools, resources, and limited technical assistance from the DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Among the many resources are a lighting project evaluation calculator, financial analysis tool, case studies demonstrating financial and energy savings, a library of incentives and financing opportunities, and lighting specifications.
More than 70 parking facility owners and managers have joined the LEEP Campaign, completing or committing more than 100 million square feet of space in their parking facilities to utilize high efficiency lighting. For retrofit sites, LEEP participants often achieve well more than 50 percent energy savings, and more than 75 percent when lighting controls are incorporated.
In addition to saving money and energy, all LEEP participants will be recognized on the campaign website and are eligible to receive up to two of the 12 awards. No fees or formal commitments are required to participate. Awards will be made at the IFMA Facility Fusion conference in Washington, D.C., April 15-17, 2014.
To learn more, register for the campaign, and access LEEP tools and expertise, visit leepcampaign.org.