Senior Housing Company Undergoes Lighting Retrofit

Reported in Environmental Leader

Brookdale Senior Living has completed its nationwide lighting retrofit throughout the company’s 546 senior care communities. The initiative is estimated to save $5 million annually in electric utility costs and deliver a return on investment over about one year. The project also provides energy savings of approximately 75% and gives 30% more light to the residences.

The facilities primarily used products from TCP Inc.’s range of compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb styles. The lamps have an expected lifespan of 10 to 15 times the incandescent products they replaced. Brookdale was able to participate in utility rebate programs offered around the country, and selected some specific TCP lamps in order to qualify for the rebates, including many GU-24 base lamps.

Brookdale also used the “InstaBright” CFL line from TCP in bathroom vanity applications. Other TCP products that were used were Flat Face Par 20’s, 30’s and 38’s, decorative CFL’s and some LED lamps in night lights and nursing call applications. The installments focused on retrofitting existing fixtures in exit signs, corridors, bathrooms and resident rooms. The project also included signage and outdoor lighting when appropriate.

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Whitehead & Associates, an Atlanta-based electrical manufacturer’s representative, specializing in commercial and industrial lighting, executed the lighting retrofit project in each of Brookdale’s communities over a two-year period using Brookdale in-house maintenance teams. About 95% of the lighting fixtures in the communities had a savings opportunity.

“The one common goal we had was to maintain the safest and most comfortable environment for our residents. Ultimately, we were able to accomplish this objective with the right lamp choices, which significantly cut lighting consumption and increased light levels by more than 30 percent,” Jeff Patton, Vice President of Procurement at Brookdale Senior Living.