Lighting Retrofit at The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States Government, established in 1934. With a critical mission to preserve and document American history, NARA operates from multiple facilities, including its iconic headquarters in Washington, DC and a major archival center in College Park, Maryland.

Recognizing the importance of operational efficiency and environmental stewardship, NARA partnered with Ameresco, a leading energy services provider. Ameresco contracted GreenTech Energy Services, Inc., an energy services company founded in 1994, to execute a comprehensive lighting retrofit to improve energy efficiency and lighting quality across the two locations.

At the Washington, DC headquarters, GreenTech Energy Services undertook a large-scale lighting retrofit focused on replacing outdated fluorescent and incandescent lighting technologies with advanced LED systems. Specific upgrades included:

Interior Lighting:

• Replaced all two- and four-foot T5 fluorescent lamps with LED magnetic bar fixtures.
• Upgraded all two-foot F17 T8 and three-foot F25 T8 fluorescent lamps with corresponding two- and three-foot LED magnetic bar fixtures.
• Retrofitted four-foot T8 lamps with LED magnetic bar kits.
• Replaced two-lamp Biax fixtures with two-foot LED magnetic bars.
• Integrated dimmers and remotes in select areas to enhance lighting control and energy savings.

Incandescent and Compact Fluorescent Conversions:

• Replaced 200-Watt incandescent floodlights and quartz screw-ins with 15-Watt PAR38 LED floods.
• Re-lamped 40- and 60-Watt incandescent bulbs with A19 9-Watt and 8-Watt LED candelabra screw-ins.
• Replaced 26- and 32-Watt compact fluorescent cans with 12-Watt LED cans.
• Converted decorative and accent lighting from various compact fluorescent sources to A19 9-Watt LED, 10-Watt LED globe, and LED plug-ins for multi-bulb fixtures.

Exterior Lighting:

• Upgraded 400-Watt metal halide fixtures with energy-efficient 150-Watt LED fixtures.

Track Lighting:

• All MR20 plug-in fixtures were upgraded to 11-Watt LED track lighting systems.

The scope of work at the College Park, Maryland facility focused on both interior and exterior lighting systems:

Exterior Lighting:

• Replaced two 250-Watt metal halide shoebox fixtures with modern round LED fixtures, significantly improving energy use and visibility.

Interior Lighting:

• All incandescent bulbs were re-lamped with LED screw-ins.
• Replaced compact fluorescent hard-wired fixtures with LED downlight cans.
• Upgraded industrial fixtures, troffers, strip kits, and wrap fixtures using two- and four-foot LED magnetic kits, replacing outdated T8 fluorescent lamps.

The retrofit project resulted in several measurable improvements and benefits, including:

• Energy Efficiency: Substantial reductions in electrical consumption due to the high-efficiency LED technologies.
• Maintenance Savings: Longer LED lifespan has significantly reduced the need for frequent lamp replacements and maintenance labor.
• Improved Lighting Quality: Uniform and high-quality light output enhances work environments for staff and visitors.
• Sustainability: Supports federal goals for energy conservation and greenhouse gas reduction.