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.

Nally Lexus in Georgia Completes LED Parking Garage LED Retrofit

Albuquerque, New Mexico. December 14, 2010—Qnuru™, the premier provider of energy-efficient digital lighting solutions, today announced that it has upgraded 70 1000-watt metal halide exterior lights at Nalley Lexus of Roswell, GA with its 144 watt Vector™ LED bulbs.  Installed in October 2010, Qnuru’s LED retrofit has reduced the dealership’s exterior-lighting expenses by 86.6% while increasing its lumen output by 19% compared to their metal halide predecessors.  Nalley Lexus of Roswell is part of Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE: ABG; www.asburyauto.com), one of the largest automotive retail and service companies in the U.S. 

“Auto dealers want to focus on satisfying customers, not worrying about burned-out light bulbs,” said George Karolis, vice president of corporate development and real estate at Asbury Automotive Group.  “I believe every automotive dealer confronts the same set of challenges with their lighting infrastructure—it consumes too much electricity, the bulbs burn out frequently and the quality of the light is poor given the amount of energy used.

Qnuru retrofitted Nalley Lexus of Roswell’s exterior pole-mounted parking lot lights with its 144 watt Vector Pecos bulb.  Designed to replace energy intensive 750-1000 watt high intensity discharge lamps, the Pecos bulb offers an even photometric footprint, daylight-quality light (CRI of 74.8) and instant on capabilities.  The Pecos bulbs are based on high bin Cree LEDS (Nasdaq: CREE) which have a rated life of 50,000 hours and come with Qnuru’s 5-year warranty, independent LM79 verification, and are ETL-Classified in the U.S. and Canada.

“Auto dealers are important business beacons within their communities,” said Rhonda Dibachi, President and CEO of Qnuru.  “Nalley Lexus of Roswell’s adoption of energy-efficient LED technology is a great illustration of leadership by example.  LED lighting solutions help businesses lower their carbon footprint as well as reduce their operating costs.  In a world filled with difficult tradeoffs, LED lighting is a rare win-win for both the environment and business owners.”

Harvard University Finds Smart Way To Save Energy is Parking Garage Lighting Retrofit

From the Harvard University Sustainability website

During the summer of 2009, Transportation Services installed energy efficient lighting fixtures and sensors within 10 University parking garages and at the Fleet Management facility at 155 North Harvard Street. The project is expected to conserve significant amounts of electricity and save approximately $400K a year.

The standard metal-halide lights, which use 198-watts per hour, are being replaced with 3-bulb/2-ballast super T8 fluorescent fixtures which use just 92-watts per hour – a reduction of more than 50%. Even though these parking garage lighting fixtures consume less energy, they provide the same amount of light. Motion sensors will further reduce energy use by turning off certain lights in areas where there has not been any activity for ten minutes. However the parking garages will never go completely dark. An extensive amount of research was conducted to ensure that there will always be sufficient lighting levels at all times.

Funded through the Office for Sustainability Loan Fund and a $200K rebate from NStar, the project is expected to pay for itself in approximately three years.

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


Transportation Services is also embarking on another lighting initiative targeting above-ground garages. The goal is to replace the rooftop metal-halide fixtures with highly efficient LED lighting. Much more testing is needed to ensure proper light levels and a positive comprehensive lifecycle cost analysis, but if it proves successful, the project will be yet another step by University Operations Services (UOS) towards helping the University reach its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 30% by the year 2016.

Forbes Reports on Colleges and Universities Energy Saving Efforts

As reported in Forbes magazine

Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., has pledged to be completely carbon-neutral by 2020. Overlooking Monterey Bay on the West Coast, the University of California-Santa Cruz saves an estimated 300,000 on water each year by eliminating trays in its dining halls. And in the Deep South, the University of Georgia, which subsidizes public transportation on campus, now has nearly 30 student organizations related to sustainability.

 These schools all make our annual list of America's Greenest Colleges and Universities, and if they're any indication, environmentalism is booming on campuses nationwide. Among the reasons: money. By investing in energy-efficiency measures, schools can save millions of dollars over the long haul. For example, Harvard University, which also makes our list, last year installed energy-efficient lighting in its parking garages. It's expected to save the school an estimated $400,000 per year on its electric bill, according to the Sustainable Endowments Institute (SEI).

Each year since 2006 the institute has released a College Sustainability Report Card, grading more than 300 institutions (this year) on a range of green efforts, including student involvement, transportation and green building policies, investment priorities, food and recycling programs, and the administration's overall approach to sustainability. This year seven schools received A grades: Brown University, Dickinson, the University of Minnesota, Oberlin College, Pomona College, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Yale. Another 45 earned a A-minuses.

"It's really impressive how far a large portion of higher education has come in the last four years," says Mark Orlowski, SEI's founder and executive director. He says in many cases students have been a driving force behind a school's green tide. Conversely, schools are increasingly aware that if they want to attract the best students, they need to show a commitment to sustainability.

In compiling our own list of greenest colleges, we've used the SEI's report card as a starting point, but we've also taken other factors into account. Does the Princeton Review also include a school on its elite Green Honor Roll? Does the Environmental Protection Agency recognize the institution as one of its top collegiate purchasers of green power? Is a school tracking its own efforts at environmental stewardship through a program run by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education? Has it signed on to the Presidents' Climate Commitment to achieve net neutrality in greenhouse gas emissions? Is environmentalism a theme of its academics?

For example, for the last 39 years Northland College in Ashland, Wis., has given its liberal arts curriculum an environmental twist. Students can enroll in courses of study focused on sustainable agriculture, man's connections with nature, or the Lake Superior watershed (which includes a one-month trip around the watershed itself). Maine's Unity College, which bills itself as "America's Environmental College," offers green-study programs such as Conservation Law Enforcement and Environmental Writing. Both schools make use of renewable power sources to feed their electricity needs.

Schools get high marks for energy efficiency and green building standards. Some institutions, including Yale and the University of Minnesota, have their own co-generation power facilities, which produce both heat and electricity. Oberlin College in Ohio and Boston's Northeastern University are among many schools that require all new buildings meet at least LEED silver standards (a level of green certification established by the U.S. Green Building Council). Oberlin has also committed to becoming carbon-neutral by 2025. Two years ago Northeastern replaced nearly 70,000 light bulbs on campus with more energy-efficient options in an effort to save $1.2 million over six years.

To read the complete article and view a slide show please visit www.forbes.com.

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

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.”

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

Shopping Center Owner Regency Seek Energy Savings in The Parking Lots

From Chain Store Age Magazine

Jacksonville, Fla.-based shopping center owner and developer Regency Centers said it is participating in the Department of Energy Solid State Lighting Technology Demonstration Gateway program to incorporate LED parking lot lighting at its Willston Centre II in Falls Church, Va.

Gateway Demonstrations showcase high-performance LED products and provide real-world experience and data on product performance and cost effectiveness.
According to Mark Peternell, Regency Centers’ VP sustainability, the Willston Centre II shopping center will serve as a test site to determine the viability of expanding LED parking lot lights at other Regency shopping centers nationwide.

“We are honored to be among industry leaders working with the DOE and the national laboratories to advance the development and market adoption of promising energy-efficient technologies,” said Peternell.According to Peternell, LED parking lot lighting is a new technology that has potentially enormous energy savings. The lights are more precise in their direction, while reducing waste light and limiting glare.

“The primary aim of Regency’s involvement in the DOE’s Gateway project and Commercial Building Energy Alliance is reducing the energy costs, greenhouse gas emissions, and on-going maintenance costs,” said Peternell. “We also expect our efforts to showcase this promising energy-efficient technology in order to encourage use, and ultimately drive down costs. Plus, it’s the right thing to do and will provide a measurable benefit to our retailers in the form of lower electricity bills and CAM savings.”

The DOE predicts that LED parking lot lights will reduce parking lot energy needs by more than 50%, and maintenance costs by more than 80% compared to traditional parking lot lights. LED lights are projected for replacement every 10 years on average, while traditional High Intensity Discharge lights must be replaced every two to three years.

To read rest of article please visit www.chainstoreage.com

One company that has helped facilities save energy costs in their parking garages and parking decks is Redbird LED. Based in Atlanta, Redbird LED manufactures high quality linear LED lights for commercial buildings. They have found a unique position offering high quality lights at value pricing. Redbird LED has published white paper on parking garage lighting and launched a parking garage lighting retrofit website- www.parkinggarageleds.com. They recently provided a parking garage lighting retrofit for the Buckhead Marketplace in Atlanta. For more information please call 678-733-2473

Redbird LED Completes Parking Garage Lighting Retrofit

Redbird LED, an Atlanta, GA. firm that specializes in the design, manufacturing and distribution of energy efficient LED linear lighting for parking garages and commercial buildings, has completed a parking garage LED lighting retrofit project for Buckhead Marketplace. Buckhead Marketplace shopping center is located near the center of the prestigious Buckhead residential and commercial district and is anchored Whole Foods. Buckhead Marketplace underground parking garage provides direct, secure and weather free access to the Whole Foods store.

The perimeter of Buckhead Marketplace parking garage is now brilliantly illuminated with the Redbird LED Vapor Tight Luminaries (40 watt). Redbird LED selected this product to enhance the lighting of parking spaces and walls along the periphery of the parking garage. The field adjustable illumination pattern allows the walls to be washed with light without any glare to pedestrians. The Vapor Tight Luminaries have a 50,000 hour lifetime, which reduces maintenance and energy costs for the shopping center owner. The Redbird LED parking garage LED lighting uses high efficacy linear light modules with controlled directional intensity which can be adjusted as needed on installation. The directionality of the Vapor Tight Luminaries was a key feature to provide the right lighting for the parking garage walls.

In addition to energy savings, LED lighting provides many advantages for parking garage owners. LED lights contain no harmful mercury so they do not need to be recycled; they operate much better in cold weather than fluorescent lamps and are more resistant to damage. “LED linear lights were a great solution for the Buckhead Marketplace project. The quality of the lighting has been enhanced and they will realize energy savings for many years” said Jonathan Eppstein, President of Redbird LED.

For more information on the Redbird LED Linear Lighting products please visit their website at www.redbirdled.com.or call 678.733.2473

Parking Garage LED Lights Use Latest Technology

Manufacturing.Net - July 28, 2010

Zug, Switzerland, 2010-Jul-28

The facade of the new car park at the headquarters of the Siemens Building Technologies Division in Zug, Switzerland is lit using LED lights made by the Osram joint venture Traxon Technologies. A total of 25,900 LEDs light up the architecturally harmonious building structure, thus contributing to the attractive contemporary look of the Siemens site.

The Siemens Building Technologies Division, which is the largest employer in the Zug region and a leading technology company, illuminated the facade of its new parking garage and staff restaurant at its headquarters in Zug with a total of 25,900 LEDs produced by the Osram joint venture Traxon. In order to ensure that this building is not only an eye-catcher architecturally, but also at night, Siemens invested an additional six-figure sum. This LED lighting, the dimensions of which are entirely unique in Switzerland, can be seen as a contribution by Siemens to Zug's contemporary and progressive image as a city.

The parking garage opened on June 1st and the staff restaurant "five moods" on the ground floor is opening its doors on July 26th. In August construction of three new buildings will begin on the site of the old staff restaurant and the existing parking spaces. With this new structure, Siemens is implementing the development plan created together with the municipal and regional authorities of Zug.

Energy Efficiency due to LED lights

The lighting concept includes 1,230 LED lights of the type Liner XB from Traxon, which can generate an entire range of colors using the three primary colors red, green and blue. The Liner XBs are equipped with high-power LEDs and thus achieve high light output. The asymmetrical optics of the LEDs allow for uniform and intense illumination, which can be controlled flexibly in terms of both color and intensity. The energy efficient LED lights help keep the operating costs of the facade lighting to a minimum: The power requirement for the light installation is only 39.2 kW per hour of operation, which is roughly equivalent to the power consumption of 20 electric kettles. In addition to four standard sizes, special lengths of the Liner XB lights were developed especially for use in the parking garage in Zug. The entire light installation is controlled using the Lighting Application Suite software, which runs on an LCS1 lighting control server made by e:cue lighting control. In addition to this four Butler XT DMX controllers, which are also made by e:cue, are to be used to flexibly control the lighting effects.

The facade lighting is currently operated statically (i.e. without color changes and lighting effects). However, Building Technologies is working closely with municipal authorities to develop an overall lighting concept for the city of Zug to enable dynamic operations today and in the future.

Eye-catching even without lighting

The new parking garage is located at the northern end of the Dammstraße and it defines Theilerplatz in combination with the planned new Building Technologies headquarters and the existing superstructure. The facade's design clearly reflects the buildings significance as a structure that defines the space and adds to the overall design of the square. The building's outer skin consists of expanded metal mesh fields in two tones of silver as well as dark gray horizontal pilaster strips (column-like wall elements), which combine to form a delicate, slightly transparent, sectioned facade. The expanded metal mesh construction also allows for natural energy-efficient ventilation of the parking garage.

In addition to the LED facade lighting, numerous Siemens products and solutions are used in both the parking garage and the staff restaurant including exhaust fume monitoring, the fire alarm system, transformer stations, switch cabinets for the main and sub-distribution boards as well as measurement and control technology. In the future, the lighting installation is to be connected directly to the building management system.

SOURCE

http://manufacturing.net/article.aspx?id=262526

Department of Energy Supports LED Parking Lot Lighting

The US Department of Energy and its partner Commercial Building Energy Alliance is supporting the LED Parking Garage Market. They are doing this because high efficiency lighting systems like LED Lighting cuts energy costs and offers immediate financial returns. In 2008 a working group was formed to investigate the use of LED Parking garage and deck lighting for retail buildings. Because LED lighting has such great potential for significant energy savings the DOE has been actively supporting the launch of new products.

Top Retailers Active in LED Parking Lot Lighting Working Group

These retailers include Best Buy, Food Lion, The Home Depot, JC Penney, Kohl's, McDonalds, Target, Walmart and Whole Foods Market. The CBEA published the Advantages of LED Parking Garage Lighting on their website:

Overall Lighting System Efficiency- LEDs very efficient because of LED directionality meaning nearly100% of light leaves luminaire

Life- Expected Long Life

Maintenance- Very low maintenance expected due to long life and durability

Environmental- Contains no mercury

Light Output Depreciation- Low lumen depreciation rate

Lighting Uniformity- Directionality and flexibility make uniformity ratios below 10:1 easily obtainable

Dimmable- Fully dimmable

Durability- Soldi State technology much less fragile and susceptible to vandalism, breakage, or damage from high winds and vibration

Light Pollution- Easy to reduce light pollution effects

Redbird LED, an Atlanta based- designer and manufacturer of LED Tube lights has announced a new parking garage LED lighting solution. They offer two versions. For more information please go their website focused on Parking Garage LED Lighting Solutions- www. parkinggarageleds.com or www. parkingdeckleds.com