PNNL

LEEP participants improve lighting quality and reduce energy usage by upgrading to advanced lighting technology.

A well-lit parking lot provides a sense of security for many Americans who walk to their cars after the sun goes down. But just how much energy does all that lighting use? The Lighting Energy Efficiency in Parking (LEEP) Campaign aims to improve the energy efficiency of parking lots and structures by at least 30 percent through the installation of high-efficiency lighting technology in over 750 million square feet. In 2016, the campaign reached 75 percent of its goal, with 560 million square feet of parking space currently planned or installed with energy efficient lighting.

In October 2016, sixteen LEEP awardees were announced at Greenbuild, the world's largest conference and expo dedicated to green buildings in Los Angeles, Calif. Awardees come from a variety of industries including quick-service restaurants, education, hospital, hotel, office, and real estate, as well as U.S. military sites. Every award-winning site realized tremendous energy savings by replacing less-efficient lighting with new equipment and controls. A total of 33 million kWh is saved annually at these sites thanks to the 2016 LEEP efforts; that's a total of $3.5 million in electricity savings in one year. Cumulatively, 138.6 million kWh (almost the energy usage of 13,000 homes) and $14.4 million has been saved by sites participating in the LEEP Campaign since 2014.

PNNL provides technical oversight to the awardee submittal process and assisted the LEEP Campaign Organizers in determining the award categories and winners. LEEP is a collaborative effort between BOMA International, the U.S Green Building Council, the International Facility Management Association, and the International Parking Institute. The DOE's Better Buildings Alliance provides technical support to the Campaign and its participants.

Congratulations to these organizations for their achievement (and savings!). To see a complete list of the 2016 LEEP winners, visit the LEEP website.