HANCOCK – The lighting conversion project for the Copper Country Intermediate School District Service Center on Hecla Street in Hancock is nearly complete, according to George Stockero, CCISD superintendent.

“We used to have have four lights in most places, or three. We’re down to two in most cases,” Stockero said. “It’s just as bright.”

An energy audit was conducted on the building during early spring by Energy Efficiency United together with UPPC. The audit determined the CCISD would save money if the lighting was changed to LED. Based on the audit report, the estimated savings would significant, Stockero had said at the May CCISD board meeting.

CCISD received a $7,000 rebate to install the new lighting, Stockero said at the May meeting, and after the rebate the school would need to pay $8,669. The estimated savings, based on usage would average $5,000 annually in electric costs.

The plan called to replace all the fluorescent lights in the building with LED lights, and Blue Terra of Hancock was awarded the contract. If the estimate of electric bill savings is accurate, it should take two years to pay off the cost of converting the lighting system, Stockero said.

“It is really amazing. You used to go down the hallway and you’d see four bulbs,” Stockero said. “And now, you only see two, and it’s as bright as it was.”