Going Green Saves Big Bucks for Small Business

In 2007 City Lock owner Jeff Rosen decided to be proactive about rising energy costs at his small Boulder business. Instead of raising prices on his products, he simply threw out all his light bulbs.

“I’d already ‘gone green’ on things like recycling paper and shipping cartons, so reducing energy consumption was the next step,” says Rosen. “I heard of re-lamping programs and energy credits, but no local companies offered retrofitting for light fixtures.” Rosen had to go beyond Boulder to find a company with the expertise to complete this project.

Rosen spent a modest $1,060 to retrofit 19 light fixtures in his shop. There was a power company rebate for efficiency upgrades and additional assistance from the landlord for improving the property. “What makes this project so important is owners of millions of square feet of retail and office space could benefit from following my lead,” Rosen says.

The installation process was efficient, too. The existing light fixtures weren’t taken out, but modified to house two bulbs instead of four. This saved a lot of scrapped parts from landing in the dumpster. All wire removed was stripped to recycle the copper. The process took four hours and was completed without interrupting power or damaging ceiling panels.

Now, instead of four regular fluorescent bulbs in each fixture, there are two longer-lasting bulbs per fixture. “I haven’t had to replace a bulb since they were installed two years ago,” says Rosen. He also reports savings of over $250 per year for maintenance, and approximately $720.00 saved annually on his power bill. “Once you figure in the $300 rebate from the power company for switching,” he adds, “the whole project easily paid for itself within the first year.”

Established in 1979, City Lock is a full service locksmith serving Boulder and surrounding areas.