The Forum looks

While we have done a great deal throughout the years to improve efficiency and keep utility costs down, the recent increases in fuel costs brought on by Hurricane Katrina and the recent rate increases allowed by the PUC have really caused The Forum to struggle.  We already have standardized procedures for the usage of lights and equipment we have direct control of and the direct purchase of new, more efficient equipment is cost prohibitive so we have turned to some alternatives.
Once it was decided that Cunningham School would be torn down, we received permission to salvage equipment from the building. Almost all the fluorescent lighting in Cunningham had been upgraded recently from the old T12 technology to the newer, more efficient, T8 technology. We salvaged enough ballasts and fixtures to upgrade The Forum’s lighting. We also salvaged enough bulbs to fit our upgraded fixtures so there will be little or no costs incurred in the transfer.
We have also started looking into programs that could allow us to upgrade the remaining metal halide fixtures in the arena as well as other equipment throughout the facility and pay for the upgrades with savings realized by the new increased efficiency. This could include fuel, water and sewer costs, as well as electricity.
While work in these areas is ongoing we hope to have some results very soon.
James F. Kaiser is director of the Forum. He can be reached at 764-0491.