EM crews recently retrofitted lighting at CWC at the Hanford Site, improving working conditions for facility personnel and saving nearly $70,000.
Office of Environmental Management
January 15, 2019
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RICHLAND, Wash. – EM crews recently retrofitted lighting at the Central Waste Complex (CWC) at the Hanford Site, improving working conditions for facility personnel and saving nearly $70,000, with more savings to come.
In August 2016, EM Richland Operations Office (RL) contractor CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) began replacing 400 light fixtures in 21 waste storage buildings and outdoor areas at Hanford’s storage complex for radioactive, low-level waste, and waste that needs repackaging. The project, which finished in September 2018, has significantly improved visibility in more than 300,000 square feet of facility space.
“The new lighting in all the waste storage buildings and shipping and receiving area has significantly reduced energy usage and maintenance costs while also improving working conditions for our teams,” said Steven Burke, CWC operations manager.
The switch to LED lights reduced overall wattage use by 60 percent and provided a total energy savings of 485,783 kilowatt-hours, equivalent to the energy required to power approximately 30 U.S. households for a year.
CHPRC has also earned more than $66,000 from a regional energy-efficiency incentive program offered by the Bonneville Power Administration, a Pacific Northwest-based electrical power supplier.
“Lighting quality is something that’s easy to take for granted,” said Al Farabee, RL project director for waste management. “Switching to LED fixtures improves visibility for our workers, making it safer to work around radioactive waste, and we’re using less energy while saving money.”