University of Colorado

The University of Colorado at Boulder main campus is located at the base of the Rocky Mountains in the heart of beautiful Boulder, Colorado. Safety is of utmost importance for the 30,000 students and nearly 6,000 faculty members who travel throughout the campus during daylight and nighttime hours. For the university facilities management department, outdoor campus lighting is essential in creating a safe environment. Parking lots and structures, main pedestrian walkways and bike paths, and most campus building exteriors are illuminated all night long.

University of Colorado at Boulder campus electrical engineer, Joe Branchaw, is in the process of a long-term project to relight the 132-year-old campus. Beyond improving safety, Branchaw is looking to reduce energy use and extend maintenance by replacing metal halide technology with less expensive Cree^® LED luminaires — a nice surprise for the budget.

“The campus-wide relighting project is happening in phases as the budget becomes available with the level of maintenance required for existing fixtures driving prioritization,” remarked Branchaw. “The university will continue making installations with a goal to relight the entire campus. My next task is to light all surface parking lots with LED area lights,” he said.