Ever pass by the giant glittery Coca-Cola billboard in downtown San Francisco and wonder just how much energy it sucks up? Not nearly as much as it used to, now that the whole thing has been replaced with an LED display that is 80% more energy efficient than the original sign.

The new 70 foot long, 30 foot high sign has the same dimensions and the same general look as its predecessor, but the neon lights have been replaced with 4,800 CFLs for the white lettering and strip LEDs for the sign’s background. The end result is a sign that is crisper, brighter, and most importantly, more efficient than the original. 100 percent of the power used by the sign is offset by wind renewable energy certificates.

Wondering how you missed the sign switchover? The whole thing happened in just four days, with the new sign in place by Christmas Eve. Almost all the metal and wiring from the original sign has since been recycled.

It’s easy to chastise Coca-Cola for not taking down the energy-intensive sign altogether, but we have to applaud the company for figuring out a way to keep an iconic advertisement without compromising its sustainable ideals.

HIT FROM Greenbiz