CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state Department of Environmental Protection has made the switch to LED light bulbs at its headquarters in Kanawha City. The agency announced Friday the change will save the state $42,000 a year.
Approximately $10,000 light bulbs were replaced with LED bulbs. The DEP paid $118,000 for the new bulbs but got a $28,376 rebate from Appalachian Power Company for a total cost of $90,000. With a $42,000 annual savings in energy costs, it will take the DEP just more than two years to pay for the bulbs, the agency said in a Friday news release.
The LED bulbs are expected to last approximately 20 years.
“This project shows how the simplest changes can make a huge difference both for the amount of energy that is consumed and how much money is spent by the state,” DEP Secretary Austin Caperton said. “The WVDEP not only talks the talk but also walks the walk when it comes to helping to save energy and make sure that we are good stewards of the taxpayers’ money.”
The DEP’s new field office in Fayetteville was constructed with LED bulbs. The bulbs removed from the Kanawha City headquarters will be used in other state office buildings.