At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Eaton replaced almost 400 lighting fixtures in three gymnasiums with LED high-bays. The university’s projected cost avoidance is estimated to be as high as $70,500 annually.
The school’s electrical engineers wanted to increase illumination at the three gyms in the Activities and Recreation Center to meet the Illuminating Engineering Society’s recommended light levels, as well as save on energy and maintenance costs. They chose to replace the existing 400-watt metal halide fixtures with 100-watt Metalux HBLED high-bay luminaires.
In 2013, the University of Illinois at Chicago said that its recreation center’s unique architecture with lobby ceiling fixtures 75 feet high required a specialized man-lift at a rental cost of $5,000.00 per day to change the light bulbs. The school retrofitted the building with LEDs, which last longer than other luminaires.