Alcatraz kicks out energy thiefs
Alcatraz kicks out energy thiefs
Not even Al "Scarface" Capone or Robert "Birdman" Stroud, two of the most infamous "guests" of the old prison at Alcatraz Island, would notice the difference in lighting.
Recently, however, there has been a significant change in the amount of power used to light interior offices and exterior corridors on the island. Incandescent lamps have slowly been replaced by compact fluorescents using one-quarter the power.
Keeping the "look" of Alcatraz intact has made energy-efficient lighting retrofits challenging. Compact fluorescent lamps typically differ from incandescent lamps in size, shape, and color. Finding ones that would blend in took some research. The options were reviewed by the National Park Service's interpretive supervisor and energy coordinator at Alcatraz Island, with technical assistance from the Applications Team at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.
Over the past 6 months, incandescent lamps that have burned out on the island have been replaced by compact fluorescents. The Park Service has been alert to any feedback from the thousands of tourists that come daily to Alcatraz, but so far no one has noticed the change. The only area where fluorescent lighting will probably not be used is on the first floor of the Cellhouse, where tourists peer into cells lit only by a single, bare incandescent.
Antonia Reaves
For more information on this project, contact
Tai Voong Tai_Voong@lbl.gov.