Efficient lighting is important in your office building. The answer to your office lighting needs could be LED retrofit lighting. Ross Greenberg, president of ZLED Lighting, explains.
Ross Greenberg, IALD, LC LEED-AP O&M, President, ZLED Lighting September 2, 2016
The LED retrofit business is growing. It’s easy to understand why, commercial buildings represent over 80 billion square feet of space and consume 36% of all electricity in the united states. Studies done by US Energy Information Administration indicate that more than 36% of that energy is being wasted by inefficient lighting and HVAC systems. Because lighting represents up to 30% of a commercial facilities energy usage, an energy efficient lighting retrofit can represent one of the best ways to reduce costs and the facilities environmental impact. Property managers are looking for faster, newer, smarter ways to complete lighting retrofits and the marketplace is quickly responding. What began with simple LED tubes is now a booming industry, with new and exciting products being introduced constantly.
Due to product changes and new technologies, customers can often feel overwhelmed or willing to just retrofit with any product they find on the distributors shelves. Suppliers, electricians and property managers can give their clients a unique benefit by being fully versed in current retrofit trends. This is where a knowledgeable manufacturer can corner off large parts of the market, training the people who talk to the end user, helping them suggest new products that fit the consumers’ needs.
We had the opportunity recently to supply the Comcast Center in Philadelphia with LED retrofit products. The building is the tallest in the Philadelphia skyline, 54 floors with many retrofit opportunities. For large buildings such as this, executives quickly recognize the benefit of LED retrofits. In Comcast’s case, they reached out to Hatzel and Buhler, a large electrical contracting firm. Hatzel and Buhler had experience with retrofit products but since there are new innovations every day they reached out to several manufacturers. We showed them our magnetically backed LED retrofit and a CFL replacement lamp. These types of products install very quickly with minimal tools and have high efficiency ratings. The magnetic retrofit product installs in less than ten minutes, simply falling into place, turning the entire body of the metal fixture into a heat sink.
An occupied building appreciates a product that installs quickly and easily. For Comcast, installing new lamps, on 54 floors, at night, they required a unique product like our Magnetic Retrofit Kit. The employees benefit because their workday isn’t interrupted and properly controlled lighting increases productivity and overall mood in their workspaces. When facilities managers are planning large scale LED upgrades they need to keep in mind the effect that it will have short term on the business. When we helped a surgical center with an LED retrofit, it was a similar story. They could only do the work on a single night, since the center could not close operations, scheduled months in advance, for such a project. A knowledgeable contractor, working with a good manufacturer can solve these problems by making the right choice in retrofit products.
Short term, companies care about the installation, long term they care about the return and cost savings. The magnetic retrofit kits tout an impressive energy savings, up to 61% off the energy consumption of the 5 foot T8’s on every floor. In total, Comcast is estimated to see a reduction of almost 1,600,000 kWh annually with a 19 month return on investment. That’s not including the maintenance savings from not having to perform relamping periodically as the bulbs and ballasts fail, as all fluorescents do. Partner those factors, with reduced heat output and HVAC savings and Comcast is primed to save a large amount of money in the next year.
When manufacturers become educators in the LED retrofit business everyone benefits. We often tell our customers that fixtures are just metal boxes, they last, and replacing the technology inside them is cheaper, easier and more environmentally responsible. It is all possible while maintaining all the benefits of upgraded lighting. Helping customers choose the right product for their application can make a huge impact in their overall satisfaction and that’s what has helped make LED retrofits the successful industry it is.
ZLEDLighting is a manufacturer of innovative and energy efficient LED lighting fixtures and retrofit products. Since 2009, ZLEDLighting has been developing creative lighting solutions to solve clients lighting challenges and we are located right in Cherry Hill NJ. We can be reached at 800-679-9243 or by visiting www.ZLED-Lighting.com. A ZLEDLighting salesperson will be happy to come out to your facility and help you and your staff with any retrofit questions you may have.
For more information, contact:
Ross Greenberg, IALD, LC LEED-AP O&M,
President, ZLED Lighting
1536 N. Kings Highway
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034
P 800.679.9243
Ross@Zled-Lighting.com
