Colorado Co-op Brings LEDs to Businesses

Sam Christensen, owner of a home furnishings store in downtown Durango, retrofitted his poorly lit showroom with LED bulbs. Durango-based La Plata Electric Association’s project specialist Ray Pierotti advised Christensen on which bulbs to buy to transform his store into a bright and colorful retail space. Pierotti also helped the retailer process rebates on the commercial-grade LED bulbs.

Christensen spent $1,163 on the bulbs and received a rebate of $592.57 directly from the co-op. He will save about $1,400 annually on his La Plata Electric Association electric bill, resulting in a return on the LED investment in less than six months.

Pierotti reports that more than half of Durango’s downtown businesses are 100 percent LED lit. He encourages retailers and business owners to contact him directly before they upgrade lighting or do a store redesign.

This is just another example of how Colorado co-ops help residential and commercial members make the most out of their electricity use using all resources available.