Lighting Replacement – Project c
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Upgrade all interior and some exterior lights to LED in the following:
7th St Classroom, 7th St Garage, Arts Building, Cherry Creek, Administration Building, Central Classroom, Facilities Annex, Facilities Management, King Center, Library and Media Center, North Classroom, PE/Event Center, Rectory, Science Building, South Chiller Plant, St. Cajetan Center, Tivoli Student Union, West Classroom
Auraria Campus is upgrading more than 35,000 light fixtures across 2.2 million square feet of space as part of a major sustainability project. This is one of the largest energy-efficiency improvements on campus and will impact nearly every building.
Why this matters:
- Brighter, better lighting: The new LEDs provide more consistent, comfortable, and higher-quality lighting than our current fluorescent fixtures.
- Energy savings: These upgrades will save about $340,000 each year in energy and maintenance costs and cut 1,500 metric tons of CO₂ emissions annually.
- Sustainability goals: This project helps the campus meet new City of Denver and State of Colorado energy-efficiency requirements and supports Auraria’s commitment to reducing emissions.
What to expect:
- Some spaces may feel brighter at first, but lights will settle in as they “burn in.”
- The new fixtures are designed to reduce flicker, eliminate harmful UV, and improve comfort—better for studying, teaching, and working.
- All fixtures will match in color (a warm 3500K) for a more consistent look across campus.
Bottom line:
This project makes our campus greener, more comfortable, and more cost-efficient—while helping Denver and Colorado reach important climate goals.
Project Impacts & Updates
January 19, 2026: Crews will be upgrading light fixtures in the Science building on 2nd shift from 6 p.m.-2 a.m. (Monday Evening – Friday Morning). Individuals will be notified when their space is scheduled through a notification taped to the door as well as through department communications.
October 2, 2025: The campus-wide Energy Performance Project is retrofitting fluorescent lights to LEDs; this action is also mandated by the City of Denver and State requirements.
We have successfully changed the lighting fixtures in Central Classroom, 7th Street Classroom, The Facilities and Grounds Buildings, Cherry Creek (North and South Buildings), Exterior, PE and the 7th Street Garage.
Next up is the King Center, starting from the 5th floor and working down. Expect the 5th floor to take about a week, starting Monday, 10/6/25 and extending until Friday, 10/10/25.
The work will proceed as follows:
5th Floor – Monday 10/6/25 – Thursday 10/9/25
4th Floor – Monday 10/13/25 – Thursday 10/16/25
3rd Floor – Monday 10/20/25 – Thursday 10/23/25
2nd floor – Monday 10/27/25 – Thursday 10/30/25
The LED lighting fixture retrofit for the King Center will take place between 5 p.m. and 3 a.m. We are aware of any classes in session and will avoid those areas until classes are complete. We will work in offices and common areas and will re-lock the doors when finished. During construction, classrooms and offices may need to be closed for brief periods.
Students across the Auraria Campus have consistently expressed that sustainability is a top priority. With support from the Student Advisory Council to the Auraria Board (SACAB), the Auraria Board of Directors adopted the updated Climate Action Plan (CAP) in June 2025, which outlines a 50% greenhouse gas reduction goal by 2030. The LED upgrade is a key step toward this target, helping reduce the roughly 31,160 metric tons (MT) of CO2e from campus energy use by an estimated 1,500 MT CO2e annually. These reductions advance Auraria’s long-term carbon neutrality goals while lowering environmental impacts and reliance on fossil fuels.
Project Overview
| Anticipated construction start | March 2025 |
| Anticipated construction end | September 2026 |
| Budget | $7.6 million |
| Funding source | Energy Performance Contract and State Capital Renewal Funds |
| Architect/ Engineer | RMH |
| Contractor | Iconergy |
