BOULDER – Boulder Valley School District contractors will replace the lights at Boulder High School’s Recht Field today and tomorrow from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. The project contracted through McBride Electric and engineered by Clanton and Associates, a nationally known lighting engineer, will reuse the existing light poles while reducing and replacing the existing light fixtures. The project will provide upgraded lighting at half the energy cost of the old lighting and reduce by an estimated 50 percent light spillover into surrounding neighborhoods.
The project cost is $141,212. It is not part of the 2006 bond project renovation currently underway at the central Boulder high school. Rather, it is a capital project that the district applied to the City of Boulder to fund through the city’s educational excise tax (EET) dollars. The city agreed and as a result, energy costs for lighting at Recht Field will drop from the current $1,270.54 per month (58 lights at 1.62kW consumption per fixture) to $634.36 per month (30 lights at 1.564 kW consumption per fixture).
BVSD Interim Executive Director of Operational Services Joe Sleeper praised the Boulder City Council and the city’s administrative staff for their critical role in cutting energy consumption and costs as well as reducing light pollution.
“Thanks to the city’s strong environmental commitment and its generous financial collaboration, BVSD and the City of Boulder have created a win-win opportunity to achieve significant energy conservation, utility cost reduction and reduced light pollution for which the district is very grateful,” stated Mr. Sleeper.