JOLIET, IL -- Perhaps the most effective educational tool that can be used by an institution is its ability to demonstrate leadership by example. In the case of Joliet Junior College, students learn about environmental conservation and sustainability through the use of MaxLite’s energy efficient LED lighting that was recently installed on the campus.

Installed throughout the new campus center, as well as in newly constructed classrooms and administration offices, MaxLite’s state-of-the-art LED Edge Lit Flat Panels deliver bright, white general lighting for a variety of applications and environments. The college’s engineers estimate the 634 LED Flat Panels that were installed this past spring provide a minimum of 30 percent savings in energy usage.

“We are very excited about this project,” said Kelly Rohder, director of Communications and External Relations for Joliet Junior College. “MaxLite’s LED Flat Panels will provide a substantial savings in energy costs, extended lamp life and minimal maintenance. As a college, we always strive to find the most efficient, cost effective means to operate while acting ecologically responsible.”

MaxLite’s LED Edge Lit Flat Panels deliver even, consistent illumination that enable college students to study and learn without being hampered by glares or shadows. Illuminated by optimal task lighting, college professors and other employees now work more efficiently in their offices and classrooms. Engineered for high performance and designed to lie in drop ceilings, the LED Flat Panels are fully dimmable and compatible with building controls, motions sensors, timers and daylight harvesting systems. The Flat Panels are dimmed or switched off when the rooms are not in use, for additional energy savings.

Offering a lamp life that is five times longer than traditional fluorescent panels, the LED Edge Lit Flat Panels offer a long life of 50,000 hours, or more than 13 years of long life based on 10 hours of use per day at L70 standards. College students and employees enjoy the robust lighting which delivers high lumens (3262) while offering excellent color quality with a high 85 CRI (Color Rendering Index).

Further demonstrating Joliet’s commitment to the environment, MaxLite’s FlatMax LED Edge Lit Flat Panels are ETL‐ and cETL‐certified, RoHS compliant, and constructed without carbon emission, heat, UV/IR radiation or hazardous materials. LM79 data is available, along with IES files and photometrics.

Recently, MaxLite’s LED Edge Lit Flat Panels received an “Honorable Mention” at the prestigious 2011 Lighting for Tomorrow Competition. Since 2002, the Lighting for Tomorrow competition has recognized the best of the new energy-efficient residential lighting products that are helping to transform the market for efficient lighting, including those with high consumer appeal and usage. All LED luminaires were evaluated by a diverse panel of expert judges, and judged based on their ability to produce high quality white light for their intended applications, while using less energy than comparable technologies.

Source: MaxLite