The city of Ann Arbor, Michigan, recently announced its plan to install 45 LED light fixtures in the parking lot of a city maintenance facility. 

According to AnnArbor.com, the Ann Arbor City Council approved the use of $30,870 in federal grant funds to replace the lights at the Wheeler Service Center on Stone School Road. Although this cost seems significant upfront, the average annual savings are expected to total $5,106. By reducing the watts from 400 to 165, maintenance expenses and the cost of energy at the facility will likely decline by about 60 percent. 

The money comes from a $1.24 million energy efficiency grant that the U.S. Department of Energy issued to the city in December 2009. Since the grant ends in March, this will be one of the final purchases that it covers. 

This most recent project is part of an ongoing initiative to upgrade city-owned lights to LED bulbs, beginning with 1,000 streetlights funded by a grant from the Downtown Development Authority (DDA).

"This effort was then expanded to include the conversion of the city-owned streetlights outside of the DDA using funding from various state and federal grant funding sources," the city energy program's associate, Nathan Geisler, wrote in a memo. "Opportunities to achieve energy savings through converting conventional lights to LEDs on city properties helps continue to advance these efforts."

Although the upfront costs may be a little steeper, home and business owners can save money in the long run on monthly utility costs by making the switch to LED bulbs. If you're interested in learning about how this and other energy-efficient upgrades can help you switch to a more earth-friendly and cost-effective lifestyle, contact a home inspection contractor today.