Meet cove.
cove is a network of neighborhood productive spaces with a community defining how to be productive together. These productive spaces offer freelancers, jet-setters, students, and anyone else a welcome alternative to busy coffee shops, boring cubicles, and lonely living rooms. Their two DC locations offer all kinds of productivity tools for the independent worker, including: unlimited printing, scanning, fast WiFi and free coffee.
cove is on a mission to foster a community of productivity. And as many know, there is a direct correlation between productivity levels and occupant comfort, including factors such as lighting levels and indoor air quality. So cove was interested in receiving a free GIC energy survey to learn how they could make their spaces more sustainable, more efficient, and more productive for it’s members. It turns out that cove was already doing a great job of this, having a solid focus on sustainability. Their spaces were already utilizing programmable thermostats (and using them correctly!), shared power strips, task lighting for individual work spaces, and recycling collection areas with eye-catching signage.
High-efficiency lighting, high productivity.
With the help of GIC’s energy survey, cove learned that they had some outstanding opportunities to upgrade some of their overhead and pendant lighting to high-efficiency lighting options including CFLs and LEDs. The lighting upgrades would cut lighting energy consumption by 75-80% and create more productive light levels for members, all with a payback period under one year.
GIC volunteers worked with cove staff to test out various options and provide insight and assistance with selecting the correct bulb shape and color temperature. Additionally, GIC voluteers pointed cove staff in the direction of available rebates that nearly cut initial project costs in half! Within weeks, cove had upgraded it’s pendant light fixtures with LEDs and installed CFL lighting in overhead fixtures in it’s second location, claiming that the light quality is better than ever.
“As cove expands, we would like to make sustainability a big component – and having the support of Green Impact Campaign has made it really easy for us.” says cove founder Adam Segal.
Impact Achievements
- IMPLEMENTED PROJECT: Upgraded all overhead and pendent lighting with CFLs or LEDs
- PROJECT ENERGY SAVINGS: 11,480 kWh/yr
- COST SAVINGS EQUIVALENT: $1,375/yr
- CARBON EMISSIONS OFFSET: 8 metric tons/yr
