The Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory recently upgraded their Child Development Center, with a particular focus on sustainability. The facility is operated by Bright Horizons, with support from LDEO and the University Provost’s Office. The three parties partnered to provide improvements to the facility with a useful life of 10 to 15 years. Fenestration and finishes were improved to harvest daylight more efficiently, a tank less on-demand water heater was installed, and attic insulation and ventilation was addressed to improve the thermal performance of the building.
The most dramatic improvement was realized by replacing 72 recessed lighting fixtures in this 2,800 square foot building with surface mount LED fixtures. “The lighting is much brighter, pleasant, and dimmable,” said Lamont Facilities Engineer Mort O’Sullivan. “We have also reduced our electric consumption for lighting by 70%.” In addition to replacing the interior lighting, 23 new LED bollard light fixtures have been installed in the parking lot of the facility, enhancing safety while saving energy.
