Archive for the ‘Benefits of Lighting Retrofits’ Category

Many obstacles can get in the way of projects designed to improve a facility’s energy efficiency. Topping this list of challenges are such issues as finances, product specification and calculating the return on investment (ROI). These issues might create legitimate concerns for maintenance and engineering managers and others involved in project planning, but they need not be deal breakers. In fact, they might not even be real obstacles. Organizations often make decisions based on uncertain or incomplete data, and diminish potential ROI.

Lighting retrofits epitomize this scenario. These projects can help facilities reduce energy use and create more efficient and aesthetically pleasing indoor environments, but only if planners base their decisions on accurate information. Companies often view lighting-upgrade projects as a revenue drain, when in fact they represent a positive cash flow that renews itself year after year. They tend to get focused on one solution, like a lamp and ballast retrofit, which limits the options and opportunities.

Aelux ensures that you will make an informed decision based on a comprehensive analysis including a proposal that clearly defines why a particular retrofit recommendation was made and a photometric analysis to substantiate the retrofit recommendation. Also expect to see what the energy and cost savings will be, and what rebate and tax incentives are available. Additional detail should include an explanation of tax benefits, fixture and component spec sheets, warranty information, environmental benefits and a transparent description of model inputs.

A lighting retrofit is when you replace components in the system with counterparts which make it use energy more efficiently. A lighting upgrade is any strategy that reduces the system’s energy use. Energy savings are realized over time and can be significant enough to not only pay for the new equipment, but produce a return on the investment.

Understanding Energy Consumption:

Utilities bill their customers in several ways including an energy use charge, demand charge, power factor charge, fuel adjustment charge and other charges. Here is a look at Energy Consumption:

Energy Consumption (kWh) = Input Watts (kW) x Time (hours operated in a given year)

To reduce energy consumption we can do two things. Reduce the input wattage or reduce the hours of operation. Input wattage can be reduced by replacing lamps and ballasts with more-energy-efficient counterparts or by removing lamps and ballasts. The hours of operation can be reduced by using sophisticated controls and other methods.

Many people are currently being cautious with their spending given the current state of our economy. However, a safe investment that everyone can afford is in CFLs or Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs. Making the switch from traditional light bulbs to CFLs will not only reduce your electric bill, but will also prevent greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change. In the average home, lighting accounts for about 20% of the electric bill. By switching to CFLs, your lights will be using 75% less energy than incandescent light bulbs. Since CFLs cost little upfront and last up to 10 times longer they provide a quick return on investment.

Think of it this way: If only 1 traditional light bulb was replaced by an ENERGY STAR CFL in every home in America, in only 1 year it would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equal to that of more than 800,000 cars. So why haven’t you made the switch yet?

Utilities throughout the country are sending “energy report cards” to customers that compare their energy usage to other comparable operations. California has measured a 2 ½% energy consumption reduction over the 16 month period they have been issuing “energy report cards” to their customers.

This blog has previously note that the U.S. Department of Energy reports that lighting represents 40% of the average commercial building’s electric bill and the Energy Cost Savings Council, reports that energy–efficient lighting projects generate an average 45% return on investment, paying for themselves in just 2.2 years. And yet, 80% of existing commercial buildings operate lighting systems installed before 1986.
A lighting upgrade will substantially increase that Energy GPA, as well as the energy cost drain on your company’s bottom line. A great place to start is the Aelux Resources page.

Henry Ford (yes … that Ford) said over 80 years ago in his book “Today and Tomorrow” (1926) that “…we will not so lightly waste material simply because we can reclaim it— for salvage involves labour. The ideal is to have nothing to salvage.”

If you haven’t updated your lighting recently, you are wasting material – namely dollars. You can calculate how much with our energy savings calculator.

The Building Owners & Managers Association (BOMA) calculates that asset value increases by $2.50 for every square foot of commercial property that reduces its energy consumption by just 10 percent, and published 30 simple ways to accomplish this. Their recommendations for lighting include:

Lighting can represent as much as 30 percent of a building’s energy usage, so changes to lighting can mean significant energy savings.

RELAMP
Even if you just re-lamped your buildings 3 years ago, take a lighting survey again. Lighting continuously gets more efficient. Converting to more efficient lamps and ballasts saves
total building energy.

DE-LAMP and DISCONNECT UNUSED BALLASTS
Many buildings are just too bright. If de-lamping
opportunities exist, you may be able to go from 4 lamps in perimeter down to 2 lamps and from
4 lamps to 3 lamps in interior spaces. Also be sure to have unused ballasts identified and disconnected.

SEE IF ANYONE IS LEAVING LIGHTS ON
Periodically, stay at work late or drive past after hours to identify additional opportunities for energy savings. Pay attention to exterior lighting as well.

INSTALL OCCUPANCY SENSORS
Install occupancy sensors to automatically turn off lights when physical movement stops. This
strategy may be especially effective in spaces that are used infrequently, such as storerooms and conference rooms. Occupancy sensors work not just for lights but also for HVAC controls.

USE HIGH EFFICIENCY LED EXIT SIGNS
Replace inefficient exit signs with high efficiency LED exit signs. LED exit signs operate 24/7 and
have lower maintenance costs due to their extended life.

AELUX welcomes companies to contact any Aelux team member for a no-cost lighting audit that addresses each of the above issues and more! BOMA’s complete list of recommendations is posted here.