A Tennessee wire manufacturing plant recently earned an energy project of the year award thanks to financing from a MAX, Your Community Credit Union CUSO to provide a lighting grid retrofit at the 298,000 square-foot facility.

The Center for Energy Efficiency at Middle Tennessee State University granted its 2010 award energy award to Fushi Copperweld's wire manufacturing plant in Lincoln County, Tenn. The 35-year old facility had been using original lighting that burned at nearly 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit and required both a warm-up and a cool-down time of about 20 minutes before they could be removed for replacement or repair.

The new fluorescent tube lighting operates at 110 degrees, lowers the ambient temperature, saves on cooling costs, and reduces the risk of danger to workers, according to Fushi Copperweld. The retrofit is estimated to save nearly $300,000 on electricity costs.

MAX Leasing USA, a subsidiary of the $833 million MYCCU, in Montgomery, Ala., said it is committed to sustainable solutions and has an education initiative to help educate businesses and communities on energy efficiency and other sustainable practices.