Philips has entered into a contract with the Washington Metro­politan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to upgrade the lighting in 25 of the authority’s parking garages.

The contract provides for the conversion of more than 13,000 of WMATA’s fixtures from high-pressure sodium lighting to a custom-designed LED lighting solution. The new technology is expected to reduce energy usage by 68 percent or 15 million kilowatt-hours per year while providing real-time data on energy consumption.

According to Philips, the new lighting system will remove more than 11,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the environment. Energy cost savings will cover installation and operation costs, requiring no up-front capital expenditures.

The system will provide both interior and exterior lighting to the WMATA parking garages, using a modular design that can be configured to meet the specific needs of each facility.