Otter Tail Telcom Receives Lighting Project Rebate From Otter Tail Power Company

Otter Tail Telcom earned a rebate check for $6,300 from Otter Tail Power Company for their recent lighting project. Although the project cost $8,400, Otter Tail Telcom’s $6,300 rebate through our company’s Minnesota Conservation Improvement Program means they’ll be able to pay back the project fully in under a year.

Otter Tail Telcom switched from 4,100-degree Kelvin color temperature bulbs to 5,000-degree Kelvin color temperature bulbs. They’re now saving 77,600 kilowatt-hours and $6,400 annually—and using fewer bulbs, too. The building’s existing 4-lamp fixtures used 32-watt T8 bulbs with a 4,100-degree Kelvin color temperature. Actual light output was 7,200 total lumens, and the fixtures gave off a warm, soft light. The new 2-lamp fixtures use 18-watt LED bulbs that provide a bright, 5,000-degree Kelvin color temperature with a total light output of 4,000 lumens.

The white light of the new 5,000-degree Kelvin bulbs provided energy savings without compromising light levels for workers. “Throughout the office it’s noticeably brighter and clearer,” said Otter Tail Telcom Business Operations Manager David Pawlowski. And moving from 128 total watts to 36 total watts per fixture is a 72 percent reduction in energy consumption. “The financial savings and better light quality can make these projects a no-brainer for business and office settings,” said Otter Tail Power Company Senior Commercial Industrial Representative Chris Waltz.

Otter Tail Power Company’s Minnesota Conservation Improvement Program provides rebates, grants, education, special programs, and financing to encourage individuals and businesses to use electricity wisely. Learn more about this program on our Ways To Save page.