LED Retrofits Increase Convenience Stores Bottom Line

Stewart's Shops recently completed an energy efficient lighting retrofit project at their corporate headquarters in Saratoga Springs, New York. Stewart's Shops operates 328 convenience stores in Upstate New York and Vermont. The annual savings from the lighting retrofit and replacement program is projected to be almost $78.000 per year. Based on these savings the lighting retrofit project will have a very quick payback period of less than sixteen months.

The existing lighting was replaced with more energy efficient T8 and T5 fluorescent lighting and LED lighting in all of the cold storage and freezer space. The ability of LED lighting to outperform other lighting options in cold temperatures was a key to the success of this project. “The ice cream freezer was the latest phase in a larger energy-efficiency project we've been working on with SmartWatt Energy for the last couple of years,” explained Gary Drake, President at Stewart’s Shops. The new energy efficient lighting will save 783,481 kWh of electricity per year. Stewart's Shops owns all of their real estate holding so these savings are important because they fall directly to their bottom line.

LED lighting provides many benefits for convenience store owners. In addition to energy and maintenance savings, LED lighting provides more uniform lighting and illumination that contribute to a better presentation of store products. This is especially important for food products in refrigerated cases and can lead to increased sales. LED lamps also produce less heat than fluorescent lamps which will lessen the load on the store's refrigeration system. LED’s work very well in the cold and last over 50,000 hours in a cooler and almost 100,000 hours in a freezer. 


RedBird LED, offers a number of high quality LED Linear Replacement lamps that are featured in convenience stores across the country. For more technical information on LED lighting please call 678-733-2473 or visit the RedBird LED website.

LED Lighting Retrofits Eligible for Energy Retrofits from Utility Companies

This week, the Department of Energy regulations that eliminate the manufacture of most T12 fluorescent lamps will be lamps take effect. The DOE wants to remove the energy inefficient T12 lamps from the commercial lighting market. Many companies, concerned about future supply and pricing of T12 lamps have pursued lighting retrofit projects to replace their existing lighting with more energy efficient T5 or T8 lamps.

Utility companies have encouraged these efforts by offering energy efficient lighting upgrade and replacement rebates. In many cases these rebates cover 50% of the installation costs for the lighting retrofit. These energy rebates allowed companies to replace their T12 lamps with their quality LED replacement lamps.Utility companies have recently announced that they will be extending these rebates to allow more companies to retrofit their T12 lighting.

One utility company that extended their rebate time period is DTE Energy in Michigan. DTE is offering special cash incentives to business owners who invest in new energy efficient lighting technologies through July 31, 2012, as part of the company's Energy Efficiency Program for Business. The financial incentives are available to businesses that convert older model, T12 fluorescent lights to high performance or low wattage-high performance T8 lamps and electronic ballasts. In California, Northern California utility companies will continue to offer energy saving rebates/incentives for these T12 to T8, T5 or LED upgrades through December 2012.

"We realize this legislation could significantly affect many of our business customers," said Bill Clemens, manager of energy efficiency program for DTE Energy. "We want to help our customers cover a portion of the investment needed to upgrade to the latest energy efficient technology. By retrofitting their outdated lights now, businesses can not only take advantage of the incentives that will likely be discontinued, but they will also avoid increased costs of replacing those lights in the future."

The Energy Efficiency Program for Business (dteenergy.com/saveenergy) was launched in 2009 to help DTE Energy customers save money by using less energy. The program offers customers a wide array of energy efficiency ideas and incentives. Customers can earn incentives if they make improvements from a list of qualified efficiency upgrades for both gas and electric technologies, including energy-efficient lighting, drives, controls, heating ventilation and air conditioning and more. For more information, please visit the program website at www.dteenergy.com/saveenergy , or call 866-796-0512, Option 3.

RedBird LED is an Atlanta-based manufacturer and designer of high quality LED linear replacement lamps. Their products have been used in national grocery, convenience stores, major hotel chains and corporate facilities throughout the country. To learn more about retrofitting your facility lighting and available energy rebate programs please visit the RedBird LED website.

  

Building Magazine- Save Money on Energy Efficient Lighting Retrofits

Building Magazine Provides Tips to Avoid Lighting Retrofit Mistakes

Energy efficient lighting retrofit projects have proven to be one of the simplest and direct ways to not only reduce lighting and maintenance costs but also reduce a corporation’ carbon footprint. This week is the deadline the DOE has set for the end of production of energy inefficient T12 lamps. This is just one more reason to pursue an energy efficient lightingretrofit program for your facilities. Most companies report saving between 35-60% of their annual lighting costs after retrofitting their lighting with LED linear replacement lamps.

Buildings Magazine recently reported on the energy saving benefits from a lighting retrofit program and 17 mistakes to avoid. Our thanks to author David Laybourn with Lime Energy. This was a helpful guide to some mistakes companies have made in past projects. This is a good learning opportunity even for experienced facility managers and engineers.

Choosing the wrong team- Make sure you select a vendor partner with experience and the ability to help you reach your energy saving goals.

Conflicting Chain of Command- Important to have a project manager that provides direction to the entire team who has budget and negotiating ability.

Neglecting Frontline People- Involve the end-users of the space from the beginning to get their buy-in and insure that they will be happy with finished project.

Calling in Experts Too Late- Involve all needed expertise at the start of the project rather than in the middle or after the project is done.

Underestimating the Importance of a Lighting Audit- The lighting audit provides the foundation for the entire project and integrates the financial goals with appropriate selection of lighting approaches and equipment.

Using the Wrong Approach- Use a system based approach rather than a single manufacturer approach. Energy savings are only maximized when all energy systems work together

Buying Based on price- “Energy-saving retrofit projects bought on price alone are usually a false economy. The few pennies saved upfront can cost thousands in lost savings, increased maintenance costs, and losses in worker productivity. Since the energy savings are paying for the project, why not choose higher quality and avoid risky situations, even if it means adding a few months to the payback?”

To read the full article please visit Buildings Magazinewebsite.

One area not addressed in the article is one of the major obstacles to launching an energy efficient lighting program -the upfront cost. Many utilities offer energy rebates for  upgrading lighting to LED lamps or other more energy efficient technology. Many times these rebate program cans pay for up to 50% of the installation cost.

Recently RedBird LED announced that their four foot Cardinal Linear Replacement LED Lamps were certified by the DesignLights Consortium. These products are the only four foot LED lamps that would qualify for energy rebates  from DLC Utility Company member firms. For more information on these products please visit their website.

Marriott Hotel Undergoes LED Parking Garage Lighting Retrofit

LED lighting played a major role in the recent energyefficient lighting retrofit at Marriott hotel headquarters location in Bethesda, Maryland. They retrofitted not only their corporate offices but also two million square feet of parking and garage space. Marriott said security for employees and guests and energy savings were top priorities when considering new lighting to cover the nearly 45 acres of parking and garage space.

LED lighting typically provides energy savings between 35-70% and their long life expectancy reduces maintenance costs. Marriott estimated their annual savings for the lighting project would be $104,000 per year with an additional maintenance savings of $210,000 over the next 10 years.  As if these savings were not significant enough, the hotel chain also received more than $130,000 in utility rebates and EPACT savings. The cost for the lighting retrofit will be paid for in less than two years.  Energy rebates are very important factors in helping companies reduce a substantial portion of the upfront costs of lighting upgrades or retrofits.

Marriott chose high-efficiency LED lighting to replace traditional 400- to 1,000-watt high-intensity discharge lighting for the headquarters parking garage spaces. This choice also was consistent with their corporate commitment to sustainability.  Marriott has 13 hotels across all of their brands that are Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED-certified by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), including the headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland.  “We preferred the exceptional output and uniformity of GE ‘s LED lighting,” says Jim Young, vice president, corporate facilities for Marriott International, Inc.  “GE performed a comprehensive lighting audit of our existing system, provided photometric analysis with 3D renderings of the new system, and forecasted our energy and maintenance savings. GE excelled as both a trusted strategic consultant and solutions provider.”

For more information on parking garage lighting retrofits and technical information on LED linear lamps please visit the RedBird LEDwebsite.

Cardinal™ LED Linear Replacement Lamp Products by RedBird LED Receive Certification from the DesignLights Consortium

 RedBirdLED, an Atlanta, GA. firm that specializes in the design, manufacturing and distribution of energy efficient LED linear lighting products announces certification by the Design Lights Consortium (DLC) of their Cardinal LED Linear Retrofit products.Cardinal™ Linear Replacement Lamps are high quality replacements for standard fluorescent tubes (T8 and T12) and provide electrical savings of 35% to 50%.  The DLC is the premier resource for high-quality review and certification of LED lightingproducts that are not covered under the Energy STAR designated categories. RedBird LED has ensured that these products will be eligible for all energy rebate programs currently in place among the DLC's membership and will facilitate rapid approval by other rebate sources as well.


Jonathan Eppstein, RedBird's President says, "Building a product that can pass the extremely tough DLC standards for this category of light has been a challenge. The threshold for approval in the 'Four-foot Linear Replacement Lamps' category is almost twice as high as for any LED class the DLC has previously looked at. Being the first LED product to apply for review in this category has highlighted many aspects of performance needed for a good LED retrofit product that go well beyond simply measuring total lumens produced. In completing the process, we have actually come to realize that our product is even better than previously thought! Throughout this process, we have been impressed with the level of competence and professionalism displayed by the DLC team."


 The DLC membership is a nationwide consortium of utilities, EMCs and energy-efficiency programs across the United States and Canada. By establishing the Cardinal LED tube light's position on the Qualified Product List of the DLC, RedBird LED has ensured that these products will be eligible for all rebate programs currently in place among the DLC's membership and will facilitate rapid approval by other rebate sources as well.

Contact: info@redbirdled.com 678-733-2473, RedBird LED, Inc. 1202 Gail Drive, Atlanta, GA 30319

SAP Saves $80,000 Per Year From LED Ligting Retrofit

SAP recently completed a series of energy retrofit projects including an LED lighting retrofit. GreenTech Media provided an interesting analysis of the energy savings from each type of energy retrofit.The LED lighting retrofit was number two n savings!


By Michael Kanellos

Fluctuating energy prices, new regulations, employee satisfaction and market opportunities are prompting large and small businesses to adopt green technologies.But where do you get the most bang for your buck?

At the Palo Alto campus of SAP, the answer turns out to be videoconferencing. The company, as part of an overall energy retrofit, installed three telepresence systems from Cisco Systems in Palo Alto for a cost of $300,000. The units will save $300,000 in reduced travel costs in the first year alone. Besides that, they boost productivity.

Solid state lighting came in second place. SAP installed 337 LED fixtures from Lunera and connected them through a network from Redwood Systems. Total cost: $434,000. Annual savings: $80,000.“It is the best business case except telepresence,” said Peter Graf, SAP’s chief sustainability officer.

Retrofitting the data center to run on DC power came in fourth place, right behind a $1.2 million solar array, but the best part has yet to come for DC. The retrofit -- which largely revolved around installing a rectifier that can convert high voltage AC power from the grid into high voltage DC to run computers and storage equipment -- cost $128,000 and saves $24,000 a year. (DC rectifiers save power by reducing the number of times power gets converted from AC to DC and vice versa before it powers a server -- we’re huge fans of DC power these days).That’s a 5.3-year payback. Overall, the DC data center reduces power consumption in the data center by 15 to 20 percent, said Branitzky.

LED Lighting Retrofits- BLOG Sponsor
 
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



For years, SAP’s software mostly focused on parameters like factory productivity, cost-per-unit, etc. Now, the idea is to highlight building energy consumption, fuel costs and other direct and indirect factors tied to energy and resources. Right now, large companies largely estimate those figures through extrapolation. But in the future, soft drink managers will, ideally, be able to more easily mine data on changes to the water or fuel footprint of a canned soda over different energy pricing scenarios.

Regulations and rising energy costs are prompting large companies to try to better track resources. But price volatility is also a huge concern. In the last decade, commodity pricing has been 40 percent more volatile than it was in the previous decade, Graf noted. The uncertain future surrounding China’s exports of rare earth elements underscores the problem.


To read the full article please visit

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/the-worlds-best-green-technology/

Saint Patrick's Episcopal Church Upgrades to LED Lighting in Retrofit Project

Redbird LED, an Atlanta, GA. firm that specializes in the design, manufacturing and distribution of energy efficient LED linear lighting, recently completed an energy efficient lighting retrofit project for Saint Patrick’s Episcopal Church. Founded in 1966, Saint Patrick’s Episcopal Church is located in the prestigious Atlanta suburb of Dunwoody, Georgia. The church contacted Redbird LED to explore ways they could both reduce energy and facility maintenance costs and lower their environmental impact at the same time.

Redbird LED worked with Saint Patrick’s to design a retrofit program targeting the older less energy efficient lighting in the church sanctuary and religious offices. Older 40 watt fluorescent tubes were replaced with more energy efficient 18 watt LED linear lights and the 150 watt incandescent spot light lamps were replaced by Dim-able 18 watt LED par lights. These were designed to be a direct screw-in replacement with excellent compatibility to the installed lamp dimming system.

 The lighting retrofit will provide more than $5,000 per year in savings from the direct drop in electrical consumption, with additional savings from smaller air conditioning requirements due to the reduction in heat loads. Almost as important was the reduction in lighting maintenance time to replace the lamps. The LED lights have a lamp life of 50,000 hours eliminating the need for replacement for the next twelve years. This was very attractive because many of the lamps, such as those in the sanctuary, require scaffolding to service because they are more than 35 feet above the floor.

For more information on LED Lighting retrofits please call RedbirdLED at 678-733-2473 or visit their website www.redbirdled.com

University of Kentucky Saving Energy With LED Lighting Retrofit

As reported in Environmental Leader

The University of Kentucky has released details of an energy savings performance contract it signed with Ameresco and on what it will save after the yearlong, energy-savings retrofit of 61 campus buildings, totaling 5.2 million square feet.The overall project is funded by UK-issued bonds valued at $25 million and will produce anticipated annual savings of $2,430,000. UK says these annual savings will more than pay the annual debt service on the bonds. Year one is a small positive savings over and above debt service. More savings take place over the next 12 years as the university’s energy rates increase.

Efficiency improvements will include lighting upgrades, water conservation, insulation, upgraded boilers, steam system improvements, domestic solar water heating, and HVAC system replacements. Along with the efficiency improvements to the buildings, the project will feature an energy education and awareness program for students, university faculty and staff.

When the project is completed next November, UK will have a smaller carbon footprint – an annual emissions reduction of about 23,291 tons of CO2.  In addition, about 13,987,779 kilowatt hours and 37,673,020 gallons of water will be saved.

Under Kentucky Revised Statute 56.774, that covers energy savings performance contracting, energy service companies guarantee that utility savings generated by facility upgrades are sufficient to pay back the capital investment over a set period (generally 11 to 12 years). If the project does not provide these returns on the investment, the ESCO is responsible for the difference.

For more information and a building-by-building work schedule, visit http://energysavings.facilities.uky.edu.

Furniture Row Undergoes LED Lighting Retrofit

As reported in Chain Store Age website

The Furniture Row Cos., one of the nation’s largest family-owned specialty home furnishings and bedding retailers, is installing LED lighting throughout its 330 Sofa Mart Oak Express, Bedroom Expressions and Denver Mattress Co. stores across the United States.

To date, the company has installed nearly 13,000 LED spotlights (from Cree) in its stores, out of more than 80,000 planned. The 11-watt Cree LED lights are replacing energy-wasting 90-watt halogen bulbs.
“We knew we wanted new lighting that addressed our goal of being environmental stewards, but we also wanted to remain fiscally responsible,” said Rod Schnurr, store planning coordinator, Furniture Row, Denver Col. “We also knew that we couldn’t sacrifice the high quality of light needed to accentuate the wood grains and highlight the beauty of the fabrics -- that’s what these Cree lights do.”

LED Lighting Retrofits- BLOG Sponsor
 
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


The first Furniture Row location to install  LED lights saved $4,200 on monthly energy costs compared to the original lighting, Schnurr said. In addition to reduced energy consumption for lighting, the LRP-38 spotlights generate much lower heat output thereby saving on air conditioning costs.
Furniture Row also anticipates significant maintenance savings given the much longer service life of the LED lights, which are designed for a 50,000-hour lifetime in open applications. Prior to the LED lighting retrofit, store employees spent an estimated 15 hours per week replacing burned out halogen bulbs.

Walmart in Puerto Rico Saves Money on Parking Deck Lighting Retrofit

In San Juan, Puerto Rico, Walmart is expected to save up to 48 percent of the electricity traditionally required to light its parking lots by retrofitting their lighting to LED Lights. They will also save an estimated 75 percent on maintenance costs.

On average, nearly one-third of a Walmart store’s energy consumption is tied to lighting. In addition to substantial energy and maintenance cost savings, the new LED parking lot lighting significantly reduces the greenhouse gas emissions associated with Walmart Puerto Rico’s operations.

“In 2009 alone, Walmart Puerto Rico’s operational energy efficiency initiatives saved more than 8.0-million kWh, equivalent to USD $1.4 million*. A large portion of these energy-efficient initiatives are tied to the continuous lighting improvements that Walmart is working with GE to help us achieve,” says Charles Zimmerman, vice president of international design and construction for Walmart. “Our latest initiative in Puerto Rico turns a high cost area such as outdoor lighting into an energy efficiency bellwether not only for our company on a global scale, but for the industry as a whole. We know outdoor LED lighting represents a huge opportunity for retailers to make strides economically and environmentally.”

New Energy Efficient Lighting Reduces Energy Costs

As reported in Consulting Specifiying Magazine

 Energy reduction in existing facilities can easily be achieved by replacing existing inefficient lighting products. Most commercial buildings built prior to 1990 typically are illuminated with T12 fluorescent, incandescent, high-pressure sodium (HPS), or metal halide lamps. These luminaires typically operate on inefficient magnetic ballasts when required by the lamp type. T12 fluorescent lamps are the only one of the four lamps mentioned above that is no longer viable, as they have been replaced with more energy-efficient T8 and T5 lamps.

Both T8 and T5 lamps produce substantially more lumens per W (approximately 100) than the T12 (approximately 60). One other advantage to the T5 and T8 lamps is their physical size. A T12 is 12/8ths of an inch, a T8 is 8/8ths, and a T5 is 5/8ths. There are advantages of this smaller lamp envelope; luminaires can be specifically designed around the lamp, allowing them to more easily control light distribution from the smaller source. This allows the luminaires to be more efficient at delivering the light to where it is intended. Simply replacing T12 fluorescent lamps with T8 or T5 can reduce the lighting load of a building by up to 40%.

Incandescent lamp and halogen lamps are slowly being phased out by energy legislation, but they still have several applications and therefore cannot be considered an antiquated lamp source like the T12. (Editor’s note: Suitable incandescent applications are not discussed here as they are not typically applicable to the majority of commercial buildings.) One location where incandescent is not practical anymore is for general illumination of commercial buildings. Removing incandescent luminaires and replacing them with the energy efficiency of T8, T5, or compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) can reduce consumption and maintenance costs dramatically. A typical 60 W A-lamp screw-in incandescent will produce only about 15 lumens/W versus the 100 noted above for T8 and T5.

In some cases, the incandescent lamps will need to be replaced by CFLs, which are not quite as efficient as linear T8 and T5 lamps but still produce about 60 lumens per W or four times that of an incandescent lamp. Use of LED luminaires also has gained significant steam over the past few years due to millions of dollars of federally funded research and advancement in the technology. LEDs can typically take the place of just about any incandescent lighting application and do it more effectively—and much more efficiently. While the future for LEDs is bright, how they are applied in retrofit applications should be carefully evaluated.

Commercial buildings primarily have metal halide and HPS lamps for large spaces such as lobbies, atriums, warehouses, and parking garages. Currently, both are viable solutions in many settings and can compare favorably to fluorescent in certain applications. One important aspect to consider is that metal halide lamps as they were five years ago (probe-start) are no longer available. Pulse-start metal halide technology improved on the efficiency of metal halide sources dramatically, and legislation such as the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007) has all but outlawed standard metal halide lamps as they cannot meet the more stringent requirements.

Replacing old probe-start metal halide sources with newer pulse-start lamps can reduce energy consumption by up to 25%. To push these savings even further, electronic metal halide ballasts can be used to greatly reduce or eliminate energy loses in the ballast itself. HPS still has applications, but rarely inside commercial buildings due to its very poor color rendering (22 CRI) and warm color temperature (2100 K).

Warehouses, garages, and high-bay areas still have HPS lights. HPS is an efficient light source similar to metal halide but often is not perceived that way due to its “orange” color. When measuring light levels, HPS will produce light levels (measured by a photometer) similar to those of fluorescent and/or metal halide; however, they will not seem as bright. This is due to how the human eye functions at different wavelengths. The light produced by a HPS source is a longer wavelength (approximately 640 nm), which typically will be perceived by the rods in the human eye, and not the cones (which allow us to see color). This is referred to as scotopic vision, or night vision. When cones are not fully functional, such as under HPS lamp sources, objects seem to have no color or appear orange. While photometric measurements will be similar, some suggest that HPS lamp sources should have a reduction factor of up to 25% of this light output due to the poor color rendering and orange color temperature. This issue should be considered when retrofitting HPS spaces.

To view the entire article http://www.csemag.com/media-library/case-studies/single-article/integrating-lighting-and-hvac-retrofits/b1942bdba9.html

LED Lighting Retrofits- BLOG Sponsor
 
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

University of California, Davis Lighting Retrofit Includes LED Lighting

As reported in the September 2010 Issue of maintennace Solutions

Commercial and institutional facilities measure the success of building retrofits and upgrades in a variety of ways, including cost savings, reduced energy use, and improved productivity of those responsible for maintaining the new technology.

But one indicator that is difficult to quantify — yet speaks to the innovation and quality of the project — is the level of interest from peers outside the organization. A prime example of that dynamic is taking place at the University of California, Davis, where lighting retrofits are garnering a great deal of attention.

"It's been an interesting ride so far," says Chris Cioni, the university's associate director of utilities. "We've had a lot of inquiries from folks in the field who have found out about the projects just by searching on the Internet."

The university's Smart Lighting Initiative has turned the campus into something of a lighting laboratory, thanks in large part to the university's relationship with the California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC), a demonstration and education facility on campus that develops energy-efficient technologies. Cioni uses CLTC staff as a sounding board when considering cutting-edge lighting technology for lighting retrofit projects.

"That's where I rely pretty much on the CLTC," he says. "It's been fantastic having them here."

LED Lighting Retrofits- BLOG Sponsor
 
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


Focus on Energy, Safety

Cioni, his team, and the CLTC joined forces in retrofitting lighting fixtures in campus parking structures and surface lots. Their next set of projects will focus on pathways, roads, and fixtures on building exteriors. The opportunities for savings are great, considering the number of exterior fixtures on campus — 2,300 fixtures in parking structures and surface lots, as well as 700 fixtures on roads, 1,300 on pedestrian and bicycle paths, and 3,000 on building exteriors.

The Smart Lighting Initiative, which began in late 2004, does include interior lighting, but Cioni concentrates solely on exterior fixtures. The university spent almost $1 million retrofitting lighting fixtures in its surface lots and parking structures, which generated about $300,000 in utility rebates. The projects have resulted in additional benefits, including energy savings, reduced maintenance, and improved safety.

The primary technologies the university specified for the retrofits were bi-level induction lamps, light-emitting-diode (LED) fixtures, and lighting controls.

"The energy savings were the first target," Cioni says. "What drove me was having those very large and prominent parking lots right near a very visible part of campus. We have a big performing arts center (The Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts), and it's kind of a focal point. Seeing these empty parking lots when I would drive in early in the morning when it was still dark, it just caught me as wasteful and a real opportunity to do something different."

While lowering energy use was a primary goal, Cioni felt the projects needed to have benefits beyond energy savings to generate broad support. So he met with the campus police chief to discuss the retrofits' impact on public safety.

"There were perceived safety improvements by moving some of the lights — low-color temperature (fixtures) — to this whiter light," Cioni says of the bi-level induction lamps. "The patrol officers could see things more clearly and distinguish colors and details. The bi-level or adaptable-light mode, where it goes from a dormant, half output to full output based on occupancy (is important)."

Using the induction lamps also results in longer lamp life — up to 100,000 hours — which means less frequent replacement and fewer lamps in landfills.

For rest of article please visit http://www.facilitiesnet.com/lighting/article/Lighting-Retrofits-Improve-Efficiency-Safety-in-Parking-Structures-Surface-Lots--11993

Warehouse Retrofits Lighting to Save On Energy Costs

As reported in Environmental Leader

Maines Paper & Food has cut its lighting-related energy use by 87 percent thanks to the installation of Digital Lumens’  Intelligent Lighting System in its 460,000-square-foot headquarters in Conklin, New York. The lighting retrofit also improves lighting levels and helps the company meets is corporate sustainability targets.With the lighting retrofit, Maines expects to save 1,726,108 kWh of electricity per year and prevent 1,240 metric tons of CO2 emissions.

After an evaluation of lighting alternatives including fluorescents and LEDs with the help of its energy-efficiency partner Groom Energy Solutions, Maines selected the Digital Lumens solution, which combines LED lighting fixtures, networking and software, as a one-for-one retrofit of highbay warehouse lights.

Maines can track energy usage and occupancy on a fixture-by-fixture basis, enabling them to fine tune the light retrofit program to maximize efficiency. The system also creates a lighting network inside the facility, which provides opportunities for future capabilities and/or measuring and monitoring other aspects of the facility, says the company.Groom Energy installed the lighting upgrade project and replaced Maines’ existing 400-watt, high-pressure sodium fixtures, reducing both energy use and ongoing maintenance.

“Lighting represents about 20 percent of our warehouse electricity costs, and a great opportunity to reduce our facilities’ costs and improve operational efficiency,” said Pat DeOrdio, vice president of operations, Maines Paper & Food Service, Inc.

“We evaluated the Digital Lumens Intelligent Lighting System and found that it enables us to significantly reduce our energy consumption, improve overall safety by increasing light levels and decrease maintenance. This solution delivers numerous operational and environmental benefits, and positions us to better serve our customers’ needs,” he added.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) provided the project incentive. NYSERDA’s goal is to help New York reduce energy consumption, promote the use of renewable energy sources and protect the environment.

Other recent projects that NYSERDA has provided funding or incentives for include recent HVAC upgrades at six New York State commercial facilities, which together will cut their energy consumption by more than 9.9 million kWH annually, a new energy-efficient grocery store, and a medical center.

http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/08/25/maines-slashes-energy-use-87-with-lighting-retrofit/

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

Verizon Wireless Stores Retrofit Lighting to Save Energy

The Verizon Wireless Communications Store in Columbia, MD is among the first wireless retail stores to rate in the top 25 percent of commercial facilities for energy efficiency and to earn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) ENERGY STAR(R), the national symbol for superior energy efficiency and environmental protection. The Columbia store is one of more than 47 Verizon Wireless retail stores nationwide to receive the ENERGY STAR label.

"The changes we have implemented in our stores are significant because they impact our business, the environment and our ability to provide customers with an industry-leading experience," said Mike Maiorana, regional president for Verizon Wireless in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. "By being more energy efficient, we can keep operating costs down and redirect those resources to improve the customer experience."

The Communications Store located at 9021 Snowden Square Dr. in Columbia replaced incandescent lamps with compact fluorescent lamps and installed light-emitting diode (LED) exit signs and motion sensors to activate lighting in portions of the store that are not in constant use, such as the storage room and back offices. In addition, the store's entire lighting and display systems are controlled by a digital timer system to ensure that lights turn off when the store is closed to avoid energy waste.

The EPA's ENERGY STAR is yet another recognition of Verizon Wireless' ongoing commitment to environmentally friendly Green practices. In 2008, Verizon Wireless was the only wireless carrier named to IDG Computerworld's first-ever list of top Green-IT Companies. Research firm Frost & Sullivan also awarded the company with its 2008 Green Excellence of the Year Award in the Corporate Leadership category for the telecom services industry.

Sponsor- RedBird LED is an Atlanta based designer and manufacturer of LED Tube Lights. They recently announced their new parking garage LED solution and launched a new website, www.groceryledlighting.com. Their LED lights offer facility managers the opportunity to save between 30 and 60 % on their energy bills and reduce maintenance costs.

New Green Building Standards For California Buildings

The California Building Standards Commission has adopted the first-in-the-nation Green Building Standards Code, called CALGreen. The code, which takes effect on Jan. 1, 2011, will require all new buildings in the state to meet more stringent energy efficiency and environmental standards. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said the action lays the foundation for the move to greener buildings constructed with environmentally advanced building practices that reduce energy use, decrease waste, and conserve resources.

CALGreen will require mandatory inspections of energy systems (such as furnaces, heat pumps, air conditioners, and other mechanical equipment) for nonresidential buildings with more than 10,000 square feet of floor space, to ensure that the energy systems are working at their maximum capacity and according to their design efficiencies. It also requires that every new building constructed in California reduce water consumption by 20 percent, divert 50 percent of construction waste from landfills, and install materials that emit low amounts of indoor pollutants.

In addition, separate water meters are required for nonresidential buildings’ indoor and outdoor water use, with a requirement for moisture-sensing irrigation systems for larger landscape projects. While water conservation is itself a priority in the state, water consumption is directly tied to energy consumption. A 2005 report from the California Energy Commission (CEC) found that water use consumes 19 percent of the state’s electricity, 30 percent of its natural gas, and at least 88 billion gallons of diesel fuel per year, although those figures included water heating.

Upon passing state building inspection, California’s property owners will be able to label their facilities as CALGreen compliant without using additional third-party certification.

Sponsor- Redbird LED, an Atlanta based manufacturer of LED Tube Lights has developed a new Lighting Retrofit Solution for Parking Garages and Decks. For more information please visit www.parkinggarageleds.com

Facilitiesnet Discusses Maintenance Considerations of a Lighting Retrofit

Lighting retrofits also can underperform because planners did not look far enough ahead. They often fail to consider proper system maintenance, such as relamping, that can extend the project's performance life.

"It's counterintuitive to replace a lamp that is burning, but when about 80 percent — some say 70 percent — of the lamps have burned out, the others are close behind," Lien says. "That's the time to change them all at once. This can be done assembly-line style and completed in a fraction of the time, compared to spot relamping." In other cases, planners forget that facility activities constantly evolve, meaning upgraded lighting systems have to be as flexible as they are functional.

"Many organizations choose a system that does not give them any flexibility for the future," Dollar says. "Office environments may be rearranged, and warehouse racks may be relocated. Installing a system that doesn't provide some flexibility can result in a lighting system that is unusable or counterproductive."

Also, too many organizations fail to monitor savings generated by a retrofit.

"I don't see it being planned for a lot," Davis says. "(Organizations are) not assigning it to a building engineer or facility manager. It just tends to be off their radar." The solution, he says, is conducting an annual review of the new lighting-management system.

Finally, Satterwhite says managers must understand "the warranty programs that come with your typical retrofit and the means by which to take advantage of them. Make sure you have all warranties in writing and that the lighting-management company has the processes in place and the resources to enforce them."
The Future of Retrofits

For managers still on the fence regarding the need to undertake a lighting retrofit, several trends are worth noting. Consider the likely impact of rising electricity rates and demand charges.

This article is four of a four part series written by Dan Hounsell Editor of FacilitiesNet. To read the rest of this article and the series please visit http://www.facilitiesnet.com/lighting/article/Lighting-Retrofits-Consider-Maintenance-During-Installation--11230

LED Lighting Retrofits Can be Financed with ESCO programs

LED lighting is very appropriate and desirable for Lighting Retrofit Projects. In addition to reduced maintenance costs, longer service life, and manageability of illumination levels, LEDs provide savings of up to 75% on electricity, and focus light specifically where needed reducing light pollution. Effective luminous efficiency is therefore better than other, older luminaire technologies.

Many LED suppliers finance retrofit costs out of energy savings through ESCO programs. By adopting LED lighting strategies for streets, walkways, parks and buildings, cities and counties can achieve a double benefit
- 1) reducing the money they waste each year on energy (economic benefit),
2) reducing the amount of carbon pumped into the atmosphere powering inefficient, power-hungry lights (environmental benefit). Stimulus projects are supposed to put people to work while at the same time helping address our various environmental and economic problems, and thus, LED retrofits of outdated lighting systems may thus be the perfect stimulus project.

As well, the effort being made by the city to address these issues would be quite apparent to citizens with LED retrofit projects, due to high visibility of LED products (a shining advertisement for the environmental and economic responsibility demonstrated by the city every night).

Information reprinted from http://www.stimuluswatch.org/project/view/9708

New Website Launched for Parking Garage Lighting Retrofits

Redbird LED, an Atlanta based designer, manufacturer and distributor of LED Tubes launched a website for parking garage owners and managers, www.parkingdeckleds.com. The website provides information on the many benefits of LED Tube lights in a parking deck applications. Parking garage owners can achieve even bigger savings from the reduced energy costs from operating LED Tube lights versus conventional lighting. LED Tube lights last much longer than conventional lighting- between 5 and ten years. This dramatically reduces maintenance costs because the lights do not have to be changed as frequently.

Many retailers, hotels, universities and corporations are saving between 30 and 60 % on their energy bills with the conversion to LED Tube lights.

For more detailed information please visit www.parkingdeckleds.com

or call 678-733-2473

Chain Store Magazine Discusses Energy savings with LED Lighting

One of the editors of Chain Store Age magazine recently interviewed Jay Jensen, National Sales Manager of Everbrite about the savings retailers could expect from LED Lighting. His comments are a strong endorsement for the energy savings that retailers could realize from retrofitting to LED lights.

" LEDs provide the industry with dramatic energy and maintenance savings over traditional lighting systems. This can yield dramatic cost savings over the life of the system. High quality red LEDs are rated up to 100,000 hours. White LEDs continue to improve, and many are rated up to 50,000 hours.

Additionally, many systems are backed by manufacturers’ warranties up to three to five years, in some cases including labor. However, understanding the products and how they are implemented into specific applications is the key to long-term success."

Redbird LED has introduced a new line of LED Tube lights that can help reduce both energy and maintenance costs. For information please visit their website- www. parkinggarageleds.com

California Retailer BevMO! Will Save Energy and Maintenance Costs with Lighting Retrofit

California beverage retailer BevMo! has upgrading their lighting systems at locations, which should provide almost $1 million in annual energy savings.The upgrade, the largest electronic HID retrofit project in California in 2009, was subsidized through several state utility rebate programs.

BevMo! Stores average 10,000 sq. ft. The retrofit involved thousands of HID fixtures which allowed BevMO! to continue to provide a customer friendly lighting which is a big part of their customer experience. BevMo! expects to achieve 51% in energy savings, reduce its lighting maintenance costs by almost 50% and realize close to $300,000 in utility rebates.

Sponsor- RedBird LED is a designer, manufacturer and distributor of LED Tube Lights. They can provide retailers with substantial savings on their energy bills with their LED Tube Product line. For more information please visit their parking garage LED Tube Light website.