Where are more LED projects

Looking back on the Salk Institute’s LED retrofit project 4 years later.

In 2015, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies (La Jolla, CA) invited FSG to design and install a lighting upgrade on its world-renowned research campus.

BBIER provided direction and competence to the project, working closely with management and staff to ensure that their lighting and energy saving goals were met without compromising the Institute’s vital work.

History of the Salk Institute

The Salk Institute is a series of extraordinary buildings designed by Louis Khan. With their strong lines and dynamic angles, the buildings evoke the idea of “frontiers”, which is certainly a phrase to describe the research conducted there.

The campus was designated a historic landmark in 1991 and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In fact, one of the biggest challenges BBIER faced in this project was to design a lighting solution that would fit within the building’s original luminaire housing.

Importance of the Salk Institute

Founded in 1960 by the famed polio vaccine discoverer Jonas Salk, the Salk Institute now has hundreds of leading scientists from around the world. Their research ranges from the study of diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, to neurobiology and plant biology.

A project like this is built on a commitment to maintenance and energy savings for years to come. Working with a partner with a track record of delivering on commitments over the years is critical.

flashback 2015

When BBIER was asked to upgrade the Salk Institute’s lighting, the goal was to improve overall energy efficiency as well as lighting consistency in the lab. In a 2015 interview with Salk Institute Director of Facilities Services Tim Ball, he said, “Because of our historic nature, we wanted to maintain the existing luminaire enclosures and utilize LED technology.”

“As a result of the installation, we were able to reduce the lighting load by about 78 percent.” Tim Ball, Director of Facilities Services ¨C Salk Institute

Below is the original case study video taken after the project was completed:

Four years later

Last week we had the opportunity to discuss the original 2015 renovation project with Mr. Ball. We want to discuss how the program has performed over the past four years and whether it continues to meet their goals and expectations.

Given the complexity of the installation, and given the unique nature of the lighting, we are very pleased with both the savings achieved and the projected payback time. ¡ ±Tim Ball, Director of Facilities Services¨C Salk Institute

In the 50 months since the solution went live, Mr. Ball said Salk has saved more than $600,000 in energy and maintenance costs. Given expected interest rate changes, “we expect the entire project cost to pay for itself within 10 years,” he said.

Given the complexity of the installation, and given the unique nature of the lighting, we are very pleased with both the savings achieved and the expected payback time. ”

Mr. Ball went on to say that, looking back, he was pleased with the overall planning and execution of the project, especially given the inherent obstacles posed by a work environment like the Salk Institute facility.

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