It is reported from Matter Network that the Lexus of Albuquerque car dealership is going green and not just by selling hybrids. The dealership recently switched their stadium lights from fossil fuel power to solar power.
For Lexus of Albuquerque, solar/LED (light-emitting diode) lights are powering down electricity from the grid and saving the overhead energy costs of their overhead lighting. Using Visible Light Solar Technologies' solar/LED system, the dealership harnesses the sun's power and converts it for use by the LED lights. The solar energy is "collected, sized and utilized at the point of application rather than generated from a remote solar collection location," according to Visible Light Solar Technologies.
Basically, the dealership lamps are collecting energy during the day and storing it in batteries for use later at night. The lamps remain connected to the grid for emergency needs or when a series of cloudy days uses up the solar power generated, drastically cutting back on fossil fueled energy. Chips in the lighting system monitor power generation and consumption to switch to the grid when necessary and to turn off lighting when it is not needed. In keeping with environmental progress, Lexus of Albuquerque's existing stadium lights are reused instead of thrown out. Doing so reduces landfill waste and additional raw material generation.
Lexus of Albuquerque found that switching to solar powered lamps is 88 percent more efficient than previous lamps and last longer so that the dealership no longer has to spend upwards of $3500 on new bulbs annually, according to Tom Bohlman, Managing Partner, Lexus of Albuquerque, as quoted by the Business Journal of Albuquerque.
Conversion of the stadium lights to the solar lamps is something Lexus is considering for all of their dealerships. While it seems as though use of stadium lights overnight is a bit of overkill because not many prospective buyers are shopping for a vehicle at midnight, at least the lights are powered from a clean source. If this energy-saving policy were used by dealerships across the country, it could make a difference in reducing electricity and fossil fuel consumption, and they would prove to consumers that they are listening to their demands for conscientiousness.