Lighting & solar

Energy-efficient lighting saves energy and cuts greenhouse gas emissions. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that LEDs use 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

King County has successfully replaced all lighting in its facilities with LED bulbs over several years as required by policy. The County also purchases many solar-powered devices, like LED-lit bus shelters and crosswalk beacons, to improve efficiency and public safety.

Policy and Goals:

As stated in King County’s Sustainable Purchasing Executive Policy (CON 7-22-1-EP),

• Saving energy through the purchase of energy-efficient products and equipment and increasing the use of renewable energy such as solar or wind power
• Recycle all fluorescent lamps and ballasts

As outlined in King County's 2025 Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP),

• GHG 23. Reduce energy use in County-owned buildings and facilities. Reduce normalized1 energy use in County-owned facilities by at least 17.5 percent by 2030 and 20 percent by 2035, compared to 2014 baseline
• GHG 78. Accelerate installations of solar electricity systems at County facilities