A Success Story For the Books

When the world’s largest English language trade publisher began analyzing opportunities to reduce energy costs at their Westminster, MD distribution center, the obvious first choice was an assessment of their lighting consumption. With 24/5 operations, a million plus sqft footprint, and a ceiling full of 400W metal halide fixtures, the potential for energy savings was tremendous.

CHALLENGE

As with many racked aisle distribution centers, the challenge was to engineer a solution that directed light output to the ground and not on the tops of the aisles. Further, Random House was interested in maximizing energy savings through the use of occupancy sensors, but did not want aisles to be so dark that they created a perceived safety concern.

SOLUTION

After intensive analysis based on multiple photometric iterations, Aelux developed a retrofit of Westinghouse Lighting Solutions 3-lamp medium beam hybrid fixture for all of the racked aisle spaces. With a premier reflector design for racked aisle applications, the fixture outperformed every other 4-lamp T5HO and 6-lamp T8 fixture that was considered. Further, in order to assuage perceived safety concerns from complete darkness, the Aelux retrofit wired each occupancy to control 2 of the 3 lamps such that when the aisles were vacant, a single T5HO lamp remained on.