Rebates | Synergy Lighting - Part 9

T8 Fluorescent High Bay Fixtures | Reduce Costs

19/08/10 0 COMMENTS

One of the most common forms of industrial warehouse and large commercial lighting is Metal Halide High Bays. These fixtures which are often selected initially because of their high lumens per watt and relatively low price are found virtually every where you look. They can be found in Grocery Stores such as Publix, and Retail Stores Like Sports Authority and HHGregg as well as 90% of all warehouses. We like to refer to these fixtures as the “Engineers Choice” when a new construction project is being developed. They are easy to specify, very bright and can be laid out using a relatively low amount of fixtures.

Metal Halide High Bays Are Really Not Efficient

It is highly likely that the era of the Metal Halide High Bay still being used today is not out of necessity or efficiency but merely that of imitating others. “Well, Best Buy has those lights, we should too”. The unfortunate situation is that nobody upfront considers the true reality of metal halide lighting. This reality is:

  • Color shift, lights turning green and pink
  • Enormous electricity cost of operation
  • High priced replacements of ballasts and bulbs
  • High heat loads emiting from the light fixture
  • Possible harm from explosion and uv radiation
  • Long start up and restrike time

T8 Fluorescent High Bay Fixtures Can Do The Job

T8 Fluorescent has been around for years, in fact you may have them above your head right now in an office! Most people do not realize that those lights used in the office can also be used to provide the high levels of light required where Metal Halide High Bay fixtures may exist. T8 Fluorescent has improved so dramatically just in the past 12 months, that these lamps can now be used for the same purpose. Using specially designed 6 lamp T8 High Bay fixtures such as those available through Synergy Lighting can reduce the electrical consumption by 54% compared to 400 Watt Metal halide Fixtures. Warm up and Restrike times from power outages is elliminated with Instant On/Off illumination. Additionally, there are large tax deductions available to those who makes this change.

Benefits achieved are:

  • No color shift with aging lamps
  • Improved light quality without hot-spots
  • 54% energy savings
  • 210% reduction in heat output from the light fixture
  • 70% reduction of maintenance costs
  • Ellimination of safety hazards
  • Instant On / Off

MH400 METAL HALIDE HIGHBAY T8 FLUORESCENT HIGH BAY
The above retail store converted from MH400 Highbays using 468 watts per fixture to T8 Highbays supplied by Synergy Lighting using only 221 watts per fixture.

Installation of this Project was Performed by WES Inc. FL-EC0001689

High Bay Comparison Super T8 6 LAMP 400 WATT METAL HALIDE
Average cost per bulb $1.99 $24.95
Average ballast cost $17.00 $86.00
Hour life of bulbs 36,000 20,000
Energy cost per year (.13 pkw) $110.32 $237.27
Total Fixture Wattage 221 468
Heat Emissions Temp 130 F 480 F
Hot Spots on Floor NONE YES
Color shifting of lamps NONE OFTEN
Danger of explosion NONE HIGH
Time to change bulb 10 minutes 10 minutes
Warranty 5 year 2 year
Color Rendering For Retail Excellent Average

A Metal Halide lamp has a rated life of 20,000 hours compared to 36,000 hours of a ECO Friendly Super T8 Fluorescent. For more information view our MH to T5/T8 Retrofit Flyer, view our website or call Synergy Lighting for a free consultation. Phone: (941)-756-4844

Toll Free: (877) 220-5483

e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

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LED Chandelier Light Bulb Makes Big Difference

08/08/10 0 COMMENTS

TCP LED CHANDELIER WALL SCONCE LIGHT BULBS

Switching to LED lighting is something most people are seemingly interested in.  However, when the typical cost of an LED light bulb is learned, that urgency begins to take a back seat to the urgency to hold tight on spending. The initial cost of most LED light bulbs is very high compared to the cost of an incandescent bulb. In the LED light bulb world, all things must be treated equally. This means you spend a little, you save a little, spend a lot and save a lot.  Sometimes in switching to LED lighting, we recommend that customers start with spending a little and saving a little to get used to the benefits of LED’s in commercial and residential use.

One of the most common types of incandescent light bulb used in both residential and commercial lighting is chandelier (B-Type) lamps. These type lamps are typically found in the 25 Watt and 40 Watt lamps and rarely found without multiple lamps per fixture such as a multi-point chandelier. Although we individually don’t look at these lamps as using much electricity, when you add up all the bulbs on an 8 point chandelier, it can add up to 500 Watts which in itself is very significant. Let’s look at a new product that can drastically reduce this consumption.

LDCT3WH30K LED Chandelier Bulb

The new LDCT3WH30K is a 3 Watt LED Chandelier Torpedo style lamp made by TCP. The lamp offers one of the smallest packages that most closely resembles the size and shape of an incandescent B-Type lamp while delivering maximum light output from a tower of SMD LED’scentered in the envelope. The tower array allows for 360° illumination while a circle of SMD LED’s on the top of the tower array direct light upwards as well. This arrangement of LED’s allow the lamp to perfectly illuminate chandelier lamp shades that can easily clip on to the lamps outer housing.  If used bare in a chandelier, the lamp closely replicates the light output of an incandescent, and would hardly be noticeable to anyone who wasn’t looking for it to be different.  Because of the very small Solid State electronics placed within the base of the LCDT3WH30K, dimming is no problem for this LED bulb. Heat output is also drastically reduced by the LDCT3WH30K LED light bulb.

LED CHANDELIER LIGHT BULBSThe TCP LED lamp delivery a consistant 3000K which is the color that most correctly resembles a halogen bulb, so incandescent users may see a slightly whiter output from the lamp, but seems to not be so different as to pull a negative review from customers. This difference in color creates a cleaner and just as bright feel for any chandelier, pendant or wall sconce. Now the biggest benefit of the 3 Watt LED lamp is that it can replace up to a 40 Watt Incandescent without any noticeable light loss. In an example of an 8 pt. chandelier, energy waste is reduced from 500 Watts per fixture to only 24 Watts,  for a total savings of 476 Watts.

Here is how that breaks down into savings:

Comparison 40 Watt Incandescent 3 Watt LED Chandelier
Average cost per bulb $.39 $18.39
Hours used per year 3850 3850
Hour life of bulb 1500 30,000
Energy cost per year (.13 pkw) $22.76 $1.70
Product life in years 4 months 7 Years
7 year Energy Cost $159.32 $11.90
Replacements required 21 n/a
Time to change bulb 10 minutes 10 minutes
Labor Cost ($12.00 per hour) $42.00 $2.00
Total Life Cycle Cost $209.51 $32.29
Calculations @ 12 hours use per day at $.13 p/kwh

Total Savings for switching 1 bulb to LED: $177.22!

 

The TCP LED chandelier bulb is available in with both candelabra and medium base, as well as Clear and Frosted versions as well as a Crystal Cut Clear and Frosted for a more decorative design. For more information on LED Lighitng or LED Light Bulbs, view our website or call Synergy Lighting for a free consultation.

 

Phone: (941)-756-4844

Toll Free: (877) 220-5483

e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

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What is Scotopically Rich Lighting?

28/07/10 0 COMMENTS

Often we talk to customers about Scotopically Rich Lighting, and for those who have never heard the term before it can be a little confusing. Manufacturers have performed studies for year on the photopic lumens that are produced by a light source such as a light bulb. The photopic lumens are a measurement of brightness by a lumen meter. This measurement can be translated by how light is percieved the cones in the human eye. These light meters completely ignore the effect of rod activated vision (scotopic). As a result, lighting practice accepted this single sensitivity function because it was erroneously assumed that the more light sensitive rods only functioned at very dim light levels.

How the eye perceives light

Human Eye Rods and ConesLight arrives at our eye from all portions of an illuminated space. At the back of the eye there is a light sensitive membrane called the retina which contains millions of very tiny light receptors. These receptors convert light into electrified signals that are sent to the vision centers of the brain. The retina contains two major categories of light receptors (photoreceptors) called the cones and rods because of their geometric shapes. The central part of the retina, the fovea, contains only cones. In the rest of the retina there are both rods and cones, with the number of rods dominating the cones by about 10 to 1.

Scientists have recently discovered that the rods in the human eye can perform in dim light levels as well as interior lighting levels of those commonly found in office environments and stores.  These rods are sensitive to light sources that emit bluish-white color tones like those found in higher kelvin temperature fluorescent light bulbs.   Vision specialists put both functions of the rods and the cones together to measure a complete value of light sensitivity know as a Scotopic/Photopic (S/P) Ratio. The S/P Ratio of most fluorescent and incandescent lamps is very low. For example, a Warm White Bulb has an S/P Ratio of 1:14 while a full spectrum 5000K lamp lamp such as an Ultra 50 or Skybrite has a ration of 2:47.  These number can be hard to understand, so lets look at it in a more simple light.

Human Eye Scotopic Lighting

Lamps that are in the yellow kelvin temperature range 2700-4200 use primarily the cones in the eye. The pupil becomes enlarged to allow more light to enter the eye, and therefore causing more muscles in the eye to work harder to provide visual clarity. Lamps in the 5000 Kelvin range allow the rods to work better, which in turn constricts the pupil and allows for easier visual clarity which is a scotopic response. In otherwords, thwo light sources can have the same photopic lumens, but the lamps with higher scotopic values will apear to the eye  as being percieved brighter. This scotopic response reduces visual fatigue, increase reading ability and reduces “disability glare”, especially in the electronic office.

Scotopically Rich Lighting Redues Fatigue and Glare

Disability glare is defined by the Illuminating Engineering Society as “glare resulting in reduced visual performance and visibility.” It is often accompanied by discomfort. Disability glare occurs as a result of “light scatter” in the eye. Light scatter is caused by imperfections in the optical media of the eye (the cornea & lens). These imperfections are common to some degree in everyone, and become more severe with age. The imperfections in the optical media cause a scattering of light rays coming from the non task area, causing undesirable light to fall on the central part of the retina (the fovea) where the task is focused. This causes a background haze of useless light on the central retina (the fovea) and reduces retinal contrast. Because the fovea contains only cones, just the photopic content of the ambient or general light is responsible for disability glare. Because people of age suffer from other conditions such as macular degeneration and cataracts, one must understand that the visible spectrum of light becomes diminished.  In the case of a retail store or office, a customer may only see 60% of the visible light produced, therefore the increase of both photopic and scotopic light levels can be increasingly important to reduce glare and visual fatigue thus increasing productivity and sales.

Benfits of Scotopically Rich Lighting

 

For more information on Scotopically Rich Lighting, view our website or call Synergy Lighting for a free consultation.

 

Phone: (941)-756-4844

Toll Free: (877) 220-5483

e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

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The Importance Of Well Balanced Lighting In Restuarants

25/07/10 0 COMMENTS

Restaurant Lighting And Good ServiceThere is no feeling like that of sitting down to eat at a good restaurant with good service. From the time we walk in the door capturing a sweet aroma of fresh grilled entrees, to the time we are seated by a pleasant and smiling hostess, we are in store for a treat. One would only assume that the decor has been well designed, the menu carefully selected and the service well performed. This is what we all expect of a restaurant.

The Importance Of Lighting

With the high risk associated with restaurants, it is absolutely vital to provide not only good food and service to clientele, but it is crucial that the clients leave feeling good about the decision to eat in a particular establishment. This goes to every last detail from plate garnishment to easy to understand menus. However the most often overlooked item is lighting. Restaurants often have multiple types of lighting fixtures to help create the overall atmosphere and design image. According to the American Lighting Association restaurants should have no less than (2) levels of light consisting of task and accent lighting, with a high recommendation of dimmable light bulbs and systems. By using multiple lighting fixture types a design image can create brilliant displays of decor, and architecture while providing a primary focus on the dining table. The dining table is where light balance becomes crucial for a restaurant. If a table is poorly lit, food can appear dull and unappealing despite flavor and presentation. Meanwhile over illuminated tables can be too bright and distract from a pleasant dining experience.

Well Balanced Lighting Affects Return Visits

Restaurant Lighting - Well balanced Light Is ImportantAll to often in restaurants we find that there is a difference in lighting over tables versus booth seating areas. This may consist of recessed cans or track over table tops and pendant lighting over booths and bar areas. When serving customers in a restaurant, you must ensure that every customer has the ability to receive the same levels of service, and pleasant experience no matter the seating area.  Because different seating areas have different styles of fixtures, a restaurateur must ensure that the light delivered to the table is well balanced and equal from either fixture type.  Recently while dining in an Applebees restaurant I was seated at a table top which sat under track lighting.  Installed in the track was a 50 Watt Halogen Spot Light.  The light was so focused on the table that it created glare and a hot spot on the table, while across the isle were booths that had pendant lights with bottom globes. The booths had only a fraction of the light provided to our table, and no relative hot spots. In this scenario, my dining experience was in the hot seat while diners seated in booths could barely see the food on their plates.

Balancing light levels to ensure a consistent and pleasing dining experience is crucial to the subconscious emotions that a customer will experience. In the case of Applebees, a lower wattage narrow flood should have been installed over tables, while a higher wattage lamp should have been installed over booths. In the photo above you will notice a hot spot in the bar area to the lower right of the image. This is a hot spot created by poor lamp selection. The result of this “seat yourself” restaurant was that the table with the hot spot remained empty throughout the course of our meal, where other tables with well balanced lighting sat to capacity.

 

For more information on Light Balance, view our website or call Synergy Lighting for a free consultation.

 

Phone: (941)-756-4844

Toll Free: (877) 220-5483

e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

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San Marco Plaza | Induction Parking Lot Lighting | LWR

24/07/10 0 COMMENTS

San Marcos Plaza LightingSan Marco Plaza located in Lakewood Ranch Florida was constructed just over 3 years ago. This charming plaza designed around a tall welcoming clock tower in the center of the shopping area is home to several new businesses including shopping, dining, salons, banking and events. However due to its erection in the middle of a hard economy and Real Estate crunch, the businesses in this center have had more than their fair share of burdens in maintaining the beauty of the center. The center itself is illuminated with a large selection of modern lighting fixtures from Hubbell Lighting. Not only is the center architecturally stunning in it design, but the lighting itself is amazing. The fixture selection is comprised of beautiful, ornate acorn style post tops and wall mounted fixtures. Unfortunately because of timing, the lighting selected for this construction project was performed just before major industry changes in Energy Savings and Green Energy Initiatives.

The massive amount of decorative lighting at San Marco Plaza requires a tremendous amount of maintenance compared to other shopping centers. With over 350 outdoor lighting fixtures, on 2 levels of building space, and 67 Parking Lot Lighting Poles, one can only imagine how often light bulbs have to be changed. By June 2010, nearly three years after original construction, nearly all of the 67 Parking Lot Lighting Fixtures had burnt out lamps and was in need of some serious repairs and maintenance. That is when the Board of Directors consulted with Synergy Lighting of Bradenton, Florida to find some alternatives.

The Parking Lot Lighting System

Induction Parking Lot Lighting Service San Marco Plaza was designed with 67 Acorn Style Post Tops mounted on 25 foot fiberglass poles. These single and double headed poles were originally Metal Halide. Standard metal halide was banned from production in 2009 and replaced with Pulse Start Metal Halide which has some great benefits as to warm up time and product life. However the cost operation of Standard Metal Halide or Pulse Start Metal Halide remain high. Synergy Lighting recommended a Retrofit of the existing lighting system to Induction Lighting. Induction Lighting provides the same scotopic levels of light as metal halide while reducing energy waste by over 50%. Unlike the Metal Halide which needed complete replacement within 3 years, the Induction Lighting selected and supplied to San Marco Plaza by Synergy Lighting offers 20 Year Maintenance Free Operation and Resulted in an energy savings for the plaza in excess of $290.00. The light levels of 250 watt Metal Halide in this instance was more than necessary, so the system was reduced to the 85 Watt Induction System with use of Retrofit Kits designed by Synergy Lighting.

Induction Lighting to Metal Halide Comparison

Comparison Per Fixture 85W Induction System 250W Metal Halide System
Average cost per fixture $700.00 $439.00
Hours used per year 4750 4750
Hour life of bulb 100,000 20,000
Energy cost per year (.13 pkw) $52.48 $30.33
1 year Energy Cost $52.00 $182.35
Product Life 20 Years 3 Years
Product Warranty 10 Years 1 Year
Labor Cost every three years None 65.00
10 Year Life Cycle Cost $524.68 $2195.50

The final result for San Marco Plaza is a maintenance free Parking Lot Lighting system that will pay for itself in less than 24 months and yields a 432% return on investment within 5 years. Labor and Maintenance costs have been reduced by thousands of dollars and lift fees over the next 20 years. The light levels of the induction lighting provide above adequate foot candles throughout the shopping centers 5 acres of parking space. The retrofit kits designed by Synergy Lighting come with a complete 10 year warranty against premature failure or defect.

For more information on Induction Lighting, view our website or call Synergy Lighting for a free consultation.

Phone: (941)-756-4844

Toll Free: (877) 220-5483

e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

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Hurricane Season | Don’t get left in the dark! | Sarasota | Bradenton | Port Charlotte

23/07/10 0 COMMENTS

Hurricane EvacuationWith Tropical Storm Bonnie fizzling out on the Sun Coast of Florida, businesses may not feel any need to worry about a Hurricane Strike. As all of us that live and work in South Florida know, Hurricane Season can become very unpredictable. It is estimated that the 2010 summer hurricane season may be the biggest yet and it is just getting started.  Businesses in North Port, Florida learned the hard way that these massive storms can hit at anytime, any place with no accurate predictability. We all get consumed by rushing around gathering batteries, flashlights, water and plywood. But wait! Has anyone bothered to make sure that their emergency lighting is working properly?

Don’t get Left In The Dark!

Synergy Lighting is offering FREE Inspections of all emergency and exit lighting for any business located within Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte County. This inspection will ensure that all light bulbs and emergency battery back-ups are working properly so that your business, hotel or shelter is prepared for this hurricane season. Should for any reason your emergency or exit lighting not function properly, Synergy is offering replacement emergency lights and exit signs at our cost for the duration of the hurricane season.

Why is emergency lighting so important?

Exit Sign Emergency LightsIn the event a hurricane should strike here on the Sun Coast, it is more likely that businesses and hotels will be without power for long periods of time. Emergency Lighting, is not only required by law, but is often times the only form of lighting to illuminate emergency evacuation paths and egress points within a commercial building.  This could mean the difference between life and death should a building be damaged badly from extreme high winds and weather associated with a hurricane or tropical storm. Flashlights can be left on and batteries drained, however emergency and exit lighting is designed to provide 90 minutes of illumination after a power interruption. Business Owners and manager should know that If the winds are high enough to down a power line, they can be strong enough to cause structural failure to any commercial building or hotel.

 

For more information on Emergency Lighting, view our website or call Synergy Lighting for a free consultation.

 

Phone: (941)-756-4844

Toll Free: (877) 220-5483

e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

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Turtle Friendly Lighting | New Products Available From Synergy Lighting

20/07/10 0 COMMENTS

Turtle Friendly Lighting | save hatchlingsSynergy Lighting, a Florida Corporation specializes in coastal lighting design and modification to accommodate Sea Turtle Friendly Lighting requirements. Through our work with Mote Marine Labratories, and the Florida Department of Fish and Wildlife, Synergy has distinguished itself as offering the most cost affective alternatives to preserving the life of these species.  Turtle Friendly lighting to many customers such as condominiums and hotels, resorts and homes can seem like a difficult and expensive task to meet the requirements by the State and Local Governments. Synergy Lighting uses a combination of innovative lighting fixtures, LED light bulbs and specialty lamps to create the perfect balance between human and turtle needs.

According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection:

“Sea Turtle populations have suffered worldwide declines, and their recovery largely depends upon our managing the effects of expanding human populations. One of these effects is light pollution – the presence of detrimental artificial light in the environment. Of the many ecological disturbances caused by human beings, light pollution may be among the most manageable. Light pollution on nesting beaches is detrimental to sea turtles because it alters critical nocturnal behaviors, namely how each turtle chooses nesting sites, how they return to the sea after nesting and how hatchlings find the sea after emerging from their nests.”

FMRI Technical Report TR-2

Do I have to go without lights?

It may seem if faced with a warning letter from a government agency that your home or facility is facing a potential fine for light pollution along coastal beaches and that they want you to have no lighting at all. We assure you that is not the case. What these agencies are requiring you to do is very simple and usually affordable. This in most cases is a simple redirection of light, and selecting a product with a wavelength of light not in the visible spectrum of turtles.  Usually @ 450 nanometers. Lighting products that produce that wavelength of light are orange, yellow and red. By redirecting light and using these types of products, all requirements and conservation methods should be easily and affordably achieved. Each facility or location may vary in the application of products required, but consulting an expert from Synergy Lighting is always free of charge.

A New Turtle Friendly Lighting Product is born!

 

Turtle Friendly Lighting - Fluorescent Lamps - InterelectricOn July 16, 2010  Interelectric Corporation, received a Wildlife Lighting Certificate for final approval of its line of Orange colored 45o nm light bulbs which are available in F32T8/ORANGE  AND F40T12/ORANGE as well as their existing full line of Red Fluorescent Lamps. These fluorescent light bulbs can be used along walkways, in parking garages and for exterior lighting for retail stores, while maintaining compliance with Turtle Friendly Lighting requirements. This is a phenomenal breakthrough with the 450 nm lamp. Previously, customer had to remove fluorescent fixtures and purchase new expensive fixtures for these applications. Now with the Interelectric Orange fluorescent Lamps available from Synergy Lighting, compliance can be just a twist of a lamp away!

 

For more information on Turtle Friendly Lighting, view our website or call Synergy Lighting for a free consultation.

 

Phone: (941)-756-4844

Toll Free: (877) 220-5483

e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

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7-11 Goes LED using LSI LED Light Fixtures

02/07/10 0 COMMENTS

7-11 Stores, as the most popular chain of convient stores in the united states launched a National Campaign to covert nearly 5900 stores to LED Lighting. This massive campaign began early in 2010 and is nearing completion in the next week.

Synergy Lighting and our network of Electrical Installers have retrofitted many of these stores from Exterior Fluorescent and HID Lighting from Tampa to Miami. Each of the locations posed its own challenges but over all went very smoothly. The LED Lighting installed was manufacturered by LSI Industries, one of the top producers of LED lighting Fixtures with all products manufacturered in the United States. Though we don’t really know the total range of energy savings created nationally, we can only assume that it far exceeds the project total for the State Of Florida at $25 Million dollars.

The range of LED Lighting was everything from LED Parking Lot Lighting, Soffit LED Lighting, Wall Wash LED, Sign Retrofit to LED, to even replacing the fluorescent bulbs in the ATM Sign and converting it to LED. This means that there is not a single product used outdoors other than LED Lighting. Customers and employees alike were awe struck at the phenominal light out put of the LED lighting and the great improvement in light quality outdoors.

Here are a few photos of some of the LED retrofits performed at these 7-11 Stores.

The Final Result at night looks great at this Miami Florida 7-11 Location completed on July 1, 2010

For more information on LED Lighting, view our website or call Synergy Lighting for a free consultation.

 

Phone: (941)-756-4844

Toll Free: (877) 220-5483

e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

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LED Light Bulbs | How Much Do They Save? Sarasota | Bradenton |Tampa | Miami

01/07/10 0 COMMENTS

With significant changes in our country’s global economic and environmental climate, every day customers ask us about going green with LED Light bulbs. Synergy Lighting offers over 300 of these newly popular, environmentally friendly, Solid State Lighting Products which achieve phenomenal energy savings and feature CREE Brand LED’s. Of particular interest is the myriad of associated questions commonly asked of us by consumers.

  • Do the LED Light Bulbs really last a long time?
  • How much do they cost?
  • Do LED Light Bulbs put off as much light as a standard light bulb?
  • How long before the price comes down?

LED Light Bulbs Save Money
At one point in time, though we highly encourage the use of LED Light Bulbs, the resulting answers were all positive until that moment in time when you have to disclose to a customer how much the LED bulbs would really cost. Many LED distributors will do anything but answer that all consuming bottom line question, “How much do they cost?”  One can only imagine the words we hear from a customer when the price comes out. Customers must come to understand that the Price of the Bulb and the cost of operation are two different things. The price of the lamp, or the purchase price rather is usually insignificant compared to the operating cost of electricity, replacement and labor. In the following comparison, we will compare a 60 Watt Incandescent to an 8 Watt LED to show the true “Life Cycle Cost.”

Comparison 8 Watt LED Bulb  60 Watt Incandescent
Average cost per bulb $70.00 $0.39
Hours used per year 3850 3850
Hour life of bulb 50000 1500
Energy cost per year (.13 pkw) $4.00 $30.33
Product life in years 13 Years 5 Months
13 year Energy Cost $52.00 $394.29
Replacements required N/A 33.3
Time to change bulb 10 minutes 10 minutes
Labor Cost ($12.00 per hour) 2.00 66.00
Total Life Cycle Cost $124.00 $473.27

Total Energy Savings Achieved: $349.27

As clearly demonstrated with the above chart, an energy savings of $349.27 per bulb can result in thousands of dollars saved by reducing energy waste for a business with multiple lamps. When one looks at the initial price of an LED light bulb, this must be considered the investment value, and the energy and labor, replacement cost savings is the return on investment (ROI). The ROI is 498% and a 87% total reduction of energy waste.

 

For more information on LED Lighitng or LED Light Bulbs, view our website or call Synergy Lighting for a free consultation

 

Phone: (941)-756-4844

Toll Free: (877) 220-5483

e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

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Parking Lot Lighting | Why Good Lighting Is So Important | Sarasota | Tampa | Miami

01/07/10 0 COMMENTS

Parking Lot LightingThe customers experience at night begins in the parking lot, making Parking Lot Lighting the most valuable tool for a business at night. If a parking lot is poorly lit, customers will not stop, park, or shop. When a potential customer or client is considering visiting a store, shopping center or dealership, light can create a great sense of curb appeal attracting potential buyers or shoppers. A Well illuminated facility sends a clear message to customers that your business is open, ready to conduct business, and represents a more inviting, safer place to shop.

Making a good first impression!

Making this first impression a good one is vital to the success of any business. It is human nature to subconsciously be attracted to well illuminated areas, and thus increases traffic flow. Recently we received a call from a National Store Chain that the parking lot lighting was poor and needed to be improved. The concern was that most shoppers at night were female, and the lack of good, bright lighting made the store look unattractive to these potential shoppers. This is not just an assumption. As stores and shopping centers become larger in today’s real estate world, the walking distance from store to car becomes larger. Men have a tendency to not think about safety as much as women, so business owners must cater their lighting to the concerns of most women.

Poorly illuminated areas provide drastically increased potential risks, ranging from theft or purse-snatching to assault, rape, an even kidnapping. Women feel especially at risk walking to their car alone after dark. Few people realize the dangers inherent in this commonplace activity, but the fear alone may prevent potential customers from shopping at stores or centers with lower light levels. The criminal element is more likely to strike in these areas because the lack of Parking Lot Lighting allows the element of surprise and reduced visual acuity and increasing premise liability.

If a person is injured on a commercial property, regardless of the severity of the injury the business and property owner can be held liable financially if proven that there was insufficient light levels that could have prevented such an assault or injury from occurring.
 

Target Corporation prides itself in offering more for less. Target Corporation operates Target stores, a chain of large, general merchandise discount stores, The company currently operates 1,272 Target stores in 47 states, all of which are required to maintain a pristine, warm atmosphere for shoppers. Target established a corporate policy to maintain standards for light levels for its stores’ main parking, peripheral parking and front drive areas. As part of their store maintenance program, Target periodically evaluates the light levels of each of its store location’s parking lots. That’s why when Target believed its parking lot light levels at a popular location were not meeting its corporate standards, they called in the lighting experts to measure light levels, and take corrective action.

How much light should a parking lot have?

First we must understand that there is no such thing as too much light in a parking lot. Most often we find that retailers do not put a focus on parking lot lighting fixtures due to high costs of repair and energy consumption. There are many alternatives such as LED and Induction lighting that can reduce these costs while providing high levels of light. The Illumination Engineering Society in Partnership with Nema, the Nations leading authorities on parking lot lighting standards, has determined that the most appropriate light level for a business at night is 4.0 foot candles or greater. Local ordinances controlling light pollution may require lower levels, however meeting a maximum light level is most beneficial. This foot candle recommendation is both vertically and horizontally across the plane. Some businesses or centers that just measure light levels directly beneath a light pole may have inadequate lighting across the parking lot.

How can parking lot lighting be improved affordable?

Synergy Lighting offers a wide variety of HID, LED and Induction based lighting products that can improve parking lot lighting design scotopically, without requiring additional expenses of poles and wiring to be added. The human eye responds to brighter whiter light on a scotopic level with increased see-ability or visual acuity. Any of the following tips can improve a lighting system on an affordable basis:

  • Convert High Pressure Sodium HID, to Metal Halide
  • Use Natural White Lamps whenever possible
  • Convert HID to LED or Induction which provides improved see-ability and scotopically rich lighting
  • Change older fixture heads to newer heads with type III polished reflectors
  • Replace hard mounted fixtures with adjustable angle fixtures
In cases where light direction is inadequate, replacing fixtures with lower wattage more efficient fixtures, can allow for more directional heads to be installed without requiring upgrades to the electrical system.
 

Why use LED or Induction for Parking Lot Lighting

With vast improvements in efficiency and affordability, the LED Parking Lot Lighting and Induction Parking Lot Lighting alternatives are an excellent choice. Both of these options offer over a 50% savings on energy waste while providing some of the brightest white light in today’s market. The ratio of light measured photopically (standard light meter), and scotopically (human eye), this is known as the S/P Ratio. The S/P Ratio for a 5000K natural white light source is 2.1. Standard metal halide light bulbs are 4000K cool white and have a S/P ratio of 1.65.  where as a High Pressure Sodium system has an S/P ratio of 0.64 with the same photopic luminance as metal halide. This means that Metal Halide is twice as effective as HPS, while LED and Induction which are standard at 5000K are three times more effective while reducing electricity costs by 50% or greater.

LED Parking Lot Lighting Converted HPS

For more information on Parking Lot Lighting Systems, view our website or call Synergy Lighting for a free consultation.

 

Phone: (941)-756-4844

Toll Free: (877) 220-5483

e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

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