The Rio Washingtonian Center, managed by the Peterson Companies, is an open-air shopping and dining destination located in the heart of Gaithersburg, MD, offering a vibrant mix of retail, restaurants, and scenic waterfront views.

Through a Montgomery County Green Bank supported contract with Lightility, LLC, the property upgraded its lighting system to reduce energy consumption across the shopping center, lower operational and maintenance costs, improve lighting quality and consistency, achieve a strong return on investment (ROI), and support long-term environmental sustainability by lowering carbon emissions.

The Project replaced over 1,200 fixtures at a total cost of approximately $245,000.  The upgrade resulted in the reduction of energy consumption by almost 50% that, along with significant utility rebates and technical assistance from the Montgomery County Green Bank, resulted in an almost immediate investment payback. Total lifecycle savings of the project will exceed $1.8 million.

The Montgomery County Green Bank played a key role in making this project more financially viable by providing a $15,000 subsidy through a Green Bank technical assistance provider, Lightility, LLC.  The Project will result in the reduction of 1.6 million pounds of CO2 emissions – the equivalent to conserving 81,254 gallons of gasoline or planting 18,736 seedlings.