The Labor Department has cut energy consumption in its headquarters parking garage by 75 percent through a pilot project that's testing a state-of-the-art lighting system.

Labor has replaced a portion of its existing high-pressure sodium lighting system with 19 light-emitting diode (LED) lamps manufactured by Philips Wide-Lite of San Marcos, Texas. The LED lamps use 50 percent less energy than the older lights while operating at full power; Labor has achieved additional savings by using motion detectors to dim the lights when the parking garage is empty.

Labor collaborated with the Energy Department on the pilot project, which was scheduled to be unveiled at a news conference June 28.