The City of Traverse City has upgraded 76 light fixtures at the historic Carnegie Building on Sixth Street as part of the city's commitment to powering 100 percent of city operations with renewable energy by 2020.

The building's 120-watt light fixtures were replaced with 39-watt, flat-panel LED lights. The change mean's the building's lights will now use 66 percent less energy. According to Kevin Summers of SEEDS, which provided recommendations to the city on how to meet its renewable energy goal, the fixture update could reduce the energy usage of the building by as much as 15,365 kilowatt hours a year, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 11 metric tons.

“That’s equivalent to the carbon sequestered by 13 acres of forest in one year,” Summers says. “The new lights will pay for themselves, while also providing improved lighting for the gallery and classroom spaces.”

By replacing the old fixtures with new, more efficient technology, the city "avoided making costly repairs to aging, outdated, and unsafe lighting fixtures," according to a city release. The city is also working with its municipal electric utility, Traverse City Light & Power, on an efficiency rebate that will further reduce the project cost.

The Carnegie Building was built in 1903 and now houses the Crooked Tree Arts Center, which holds exhibitions, art classes, and other events.