RICHLAND, Wash. – How many employees does it take to change an incandescent light bulb to a more environmentally friendly one" When it comes to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, that figure is approximately 1,000. That’s the number of staff members who recently committed to participate in the national Energy Star® Change a Light, Change the World Campaign.
In all, PNNL has enlisted more than 1,000 employees who have pledged to replace at least one incandescent bulb or fixture in their homes with one that has earned the government’s Energy Star® label.
By meeting this goal, PNNL will collectively conserve more than two million kilowatt-hours of energy per year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly three million pounds.
“I’m proud that PNNL currently leads Department of Energy national laboratories in the campaign,” said Mike Moran, a facility energy specialist. “Those 1,000-plus employees went well beyond the minimum pledge. They committed to replace more than 7,100 incandescent bulbs with energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs. That’s more than seven bulbs per employee on average.”
The City of Richland Energy Services Department provided the first 500 energy efficient compact florescent bulbs for the campaign, which will be credited towards their Conservation Rate Credit. These 500 bulbs were distributed to PNNL employees who were willing to take pledge.
“We’re pleased to see the campaign has been so successful,” said City of Richland Energy Specialist Dawn Senger. “Since residential lighting accounts for about 20 percent of a typical home’s electricity use, this simple change is a significant way for anyone to reduce greenhouse gasses, save energy and protect the environment.”
The Change a Light, Change the World Campaign is sponsored by the Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. PNNL will continue collecting pledges through December 1.
Anyone wishing to participate in the campaign can register by accessing the Energy Star Change a Light, Change the World web site.
ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce air pollution through increased energy efficiency. Today, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy, the ENERGY STAR program offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy and money, and help protect our environment for future generations. More than 8,000 organizations have become ENERGY STAR partners and are committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).
PNNL is a DOE Office of Science national laboratory that solves complex problems in energy, national security and the environment, and advances scientific frontiers in the chemical, biological, materials, environmental and computational sciences. PNNL employs 4,200 staff, has a $750 million annual budget, and has been managed by Ohio-based Battelle since the lab's inception in 1965.