A pilot project to install a Troy company's LED-based replacements for flourescent bulbs is under way at a state office building in Escanaba.

Over the next four years, Ilumisys Inc. will replace 200 flourescent tubes in the building with three successive generations of LED lamps.

Ilumisys is a subsidiary of Altair Engineering Inc.

The first generation of the lamps are five to 10 percent more energy efficient than flourescent bulbs, and last more than 25 years, vs. flourescent tubes' estimated five-year lifespan. They also don't require ballasts or use mercury, and can be dimmed or brightened to accommodate available natural light.

More from the Escanaba Daily Press.

Ilumisys lights are also now at work in a conference room on the fourth floor of  Ann Arbor City Hall.

“The potential of this LED technology to transform lighting as we know it, save energy and contribute to a cleaner environment is tremendous,” said Ann Arbor city energy coordinator David Konkle. “Lighting currently accounts for 25 percent of all U.S. electrical power consumption, with fluorescent-type lighting making up more than 80 percent of this usage.”

This demonstration is another example of why Ann Arbor has been named an LED City by the organization www.ledcity.org. The other LED Cities are Raleigh, N.C.; Austin, Texas; Toronto, Ontario; and Tianjin, China.