Guide to LED Retrofit

LED lighting retrofits can offer businesses two key benefits: some fixtures can deliver up to an 85 percent energy savings and the life span of LEDs average about 50,000 hours, reports Retrofit Magazine. But before making a decision on an energy efficient lighting retrofit, businesses first have to evaluate their current lighting layout and future requirements.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) says seven percent of all energy consumed in the U.S. is for lighting, which is why the Obama Administration is setting energy conservation standards for certain types of fluorescent lamps and incandescent reflector lamps, and is investing $346 million in energy-efficient building technologies.

Before businesses make the investment to retrofit or replace their lighting, they need to consider several factors including the condition and voltage of the facility’s existing wiring and circuitry because certain LED fixtures may not be compatible with the voltage rating, and control preferences such as for dimming and/or motion control, according to the article.

Other issues include downtime for the installation, how much energy savings the company expects from the LED retrofit, manufacturers’ warranties, who will install the new lighting systems and whether it’s necessary to take before and after light-level and energy readings.

Businesses also need to call their local utility companies to check on rebates for energy-efficient lighting and/or tax deductions or credits.

Here are five tips for selecting LED systems and vendors based on Retrofit’s article.

– Understand the fixture manufacturer’s claims including the performance of the products, up-front equipment costs, ongoing energy and maintenance costs and after-sale support.

– Evaluate the quality of the LEDs by comparing the light output and efficiency to your benchmarking tests.

– Evaluate the performance of the LED lighting fixture with your benchmarking data and the manufacturer’s photometric reports.

– Verify the manufacturer’s claims for light and energy performance.

– Review the installation requirements for LED lighting fixtures and ensure that your new fixtures are compliant to the National Electric Code requirements for installation of light fixtures.
LED Lighting Retrofits
 
A good practice for businesses looking to reduce energy expenses is to consider an LED lighting retrofit. Lighting retrofits replace lighting with newer technology such as LED linear lighting to save on energy costs and maintenance costs. Many building experts recommend a lighting retrofit as the first step to reducing energy costs. Redbird LED is an Atlanta based manufacturer and designer of Premium LED lights at value price points. For more information please visit their LED Retrofit website or call ( 678) 733-2473