
Photo: Vadim Babenko/Unsplash
5th Light, the company that had installed the system, apparently changed hands several times during the last decade and was now owned by another company called Reflex Lighting. They also didn’t have access to the software they had used on this particular project anymore, so the only way to fix the problem was to replace the hardware (server, lighting control boards, etc.). Mainly because of supply chain issues in China caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, getting the parts required to finally turn off the 7,000 lights at Minnechaug Regional High School has proven to be very challenging. The repairs were supposed to be carried out in early 2022, but got pushed back all through the year. Now, the lighting company claims that it received all the necessary replacement parts and the lights will finally be turned off next month.
“While we are hopeful this will be met, we are of course skeptical,” school officials said. “So, for now, the lights are stuck on.” Although the smart lights system uses highly efficient fluorescent and LED bulbs, the 7,000 lights throughout the high school still consume a lot of energy. It’s hard to estimate how much taxpayer money it cost to keep them running non-stop for 17 months, but it certainly adds up to a decent amount.
When possible, teachers have manually removed bulbs from fixtures in classrooms, while school staff has shut off breakers not connected to the main smart system, but the bulk of the lights have remained on since August 2021. Paul Mustone, president of the Reflex Lighting Group, told journalists that the problem will finally be fixed next month, “and yes, there will be a remote override switch so this won’t happen again.” It’s mindboggling that no one thought to implement one from the start…