NCSU Chancellor's office

The universities are inaugural participant North Carolina State University (NCSU), along with Marquette University, University of California at Santa Barbara, University of Arkansas and Tianjin Polytechnic University in China.

The institutions have committed to evaluating and using LED lighting in areas such as offices, dormitories, parking garages, walkway lighting and streets across their campus infrastructures. In addition, the universities plan to work toward providing a better light quality for improved visibility and safety.

Each of the participating universities is conducting LED lighting pilots to determine the cost and environmental benefits of switching to LED lighting in campus applications. Initial installations include:

* NCSB installed LED recessed can lighting from Cree in the chancellor's office and a dormitory, and is installing LED parking garage lighting from BetaLED (see photo).

* Marquette University installed LED T8 replacements from LED Dynamics in the vice president for administration's office and is installing LED recessed and task lighting.

UCSB streetlights

* U.C. Santa Barbara installed 23 LED streetlights from BetaLED on a campus street and reports that compared to its traditional streetlights, it is achieving a 44% reduction in energy use as well as better light distribution and color rendition.

* University of Arkansas has installed the first set of what it plans will be approximately 1,700 recessed LED lights from Cree in university buildings, starting with lighting the chancellor's residence.

* Tianjin Polytechnic University installed 1,500 LED streetlights designed by its graduate students on the campus' main roadway.