Energy Efficient Parking Garages

Proper lighting for a parking garage can save on energy and costs.

When we think of ways to save energy, parking garages aren’t usually our first thought. But a garage typically uses 15% of the energy that the building it is attached to uses, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

A parking garage can be seen as a secondary building, but what businesses are finding is that retrofitting a parking garage and updating its lighting can save a lot of energy, costs, and still be functional and look aesthetically pleasing.

“It’s an interesting thing to look at a parking garage as not just something that’s subservient to the campus, but as a building that has its own energy-saving contributions to make,” RNL Senior Project Manager Tony Thornton said.

And considering that parking garages use as much (if not more) lighting than a traditional building, the potential for saving energy and on utilities is definitely worth exploring for any business.

Read how the DOE retrofitted their parking garage to see how they saved on energy and costs.