Thanks to a lighting upgrade backed by Seattle City Light rebates, urban dining hotspot Wild Ginger is saving some cool cash while reducing its energy consumption.
LED lights in the dining room at Wild Ginger.
Thanks to a lighting upgrade backed by Seattle City Light rebates, urban dining hotspot Wild Ginger is saving some cool cash while reducing its energy consumption.
The project started when City Light rebates caught the attention of Wild Ginger Facility Manager Paul Strick. The incentives to reduce energy use aligned well with Wild Ginger’s effort to green up and reduce the restaurant’s environmental footprint.
With the help of Seattle City Light and contractors, new LED lighting technology was specifically selected to match the aethetics of the resaurant’s old lighting.
“There were certain out-of-pocket expenses for Wild Ginger,” Strick said. “But when we realized it was an eight month return on investment after the cash rebate from Seattle City Light, it was a no-brainer.” The team converted 385 incandescent halogen lamps to LED lighting and installed centralized controls for the entire restaurant. The restaurant’s expected energy savings is approximately 110,000 kilowatt-hours, which amounts to a $7,000 reduction in electricity bills every year.
In addition to reduced energy consumption, the new LED lighting has dramatically decreased maintenance costs. “If you have the opportunity to upgrade, you should,” Strick said. “We are in an historic building that has challenging requirements, but it can be done. And if we can do it, others can do it too.”