By Danielle Rines
NEWBURYPORT —The Newburyport High School Environment Club is shedding a different kind of light on the holiday season this year.
Yesterday, the club gathered in the center of Market Square to demonstrate its idea to better the environment by using LED lights for the city's giant Christmas tree instead of the incandescent lights currently being used.
The Environment Club used a small live tree donated by Barbara Prietz of Greenskeepers in Newburyport to show the difference between what the LED lights look like compared to the incandescent ones. The subject was brought up last year, but this year the club decided to jump on the idea.
"We are showcasing the smaller tree this year to show the benefits and the cost savings that the city and the Chamber of Commerce would save," said Erika Linenfelser, president of the NHS Environment Club.
Linenfelser said that the club didn't approach the Chamber of Commerce about purchasing the lights until about two weeks in advance, which wasn't enough time this year to look into it.
However, Molly Ettenborough, Newburyport's recycling coordinator who works with the club, said the tree certainly makes a statement, and the Chamber of Commerce has been very receptive to the idea.
"It was completely their idea. They went to Ann Ormond (Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce president). They approached her and told her how it worked, and I think she's open to the issue," Ettenborough said. "She's been welcoming to the kids talking to her about the idea, and we just need to figure out how to store them year after year."
Storage of the LED lights is certainly a concern. Linenfelser said currently the lights on the city's tree are thrown out every year.
But the Chamber of Commerce is on board with the idea and wants to collaborate to solve the issue.
"We'd love to figure out a way to do it; we can certainly negotiate with the DPW to get them stored properly. Last year, because of weather, the tree was up until almost March because there was so much snow, and the lights stayed on it," Ormond said.
Cost of the lights is also a concern. Because the lights are thrown away, new lights are purchased each year.
On that issue, the club has done its homework. LED lights would be more money to buy initially, an estimated cost of $1,717 as compared to the incandescent lights that cost $563.50. Linenfelser and Ettenborough feel that their biggest challenge will be funding and raising the money to get the lights.
But according to Linenfelser, LED lights can last up to 18 years, making them a long-term investment paying themselves off within the first year of use. After five years, the club estimates a savings of $1,146.20.
"The incandescent lights are left on 24 hours during the holiday season. They wouldn't even last 3 years, so it's not really beneficial to keep them," she said.
Along with cost of the lights themselves, the club also mentioned that incandescent bulbs use 2,500 watts of electricity, adding up to a cost of $290.27 per year. LED lights use 480 watts, adding up to $55.73 per year, making the difference in an electricity bill $234.54.
The club has attached a sheet to the small tree informing those who walk by about its purpose and all about the statistics and its cause. The minor setback of not reaching its goal this year hasn't stopped the club from expressing its views with the small tree. They are already planning to set up a meeting with the Department of Public Services for next year.
The small tree glowing with LED lights will take up permanent residence next to the larger one for the remainder of the holiday season. Linenfelser said the LED lights are the way of the future.
"They don't have mercury in the them, so you don't have to worry about disposing of them afterwards," she said. "It's an emerging technology. It's going to be the new thing. In a few years, you'll start seeing them everywhere," she said.
