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The Dartmouth
March 29, 2024 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

College brightens rooms

After receiving numerous complaints about poor lighting, the College installed more powerful fluorescent lights to one of the dormitories, New Hampshire Hall, during renovations this summer.

The College put in the new lighting fixtures "to try and show that we can conserve energy while at the same time provide acceptable lighting levels," said Woody Eckels, plants and operations manager for the Office of Residential Life.

The new lights are four-foot, double-tube light fixtures which use approximately 70 watts and cost $42, which is $12 more per light than the old lights.

The other dorms on campus still have the environmentally friendly 22-watt condensed fluorescent lights and the 70-watt circline fluorescent lights.

But both lights put out the same amount of light.

According to a Buildings and Grounds report last spring, energy usage was down in every building on campus except the dorms, where it increased by about five percent.

This is primarily due to the College's installation of the energy conserving 22 watt bulbs in the early '80s, and the students reaction to those dim lights.

Students in increasing numbers have supplemented the poor lighting with incandescent and 300 to 500 watt halogen lamps, that used more energy than the fluorescent lights were saving.

"They went too far and that resulted in students' buying inefficient lighting," said Bill Hochstin, assistant director of operation and management services for Dartmouth Recycles.

Paul Archer '94, a long time resident of New Hamp, said the new lighting is more effective.