If you’ve looked into upgrading your lighting to LED in the last decade, a “lamps-only upgrade” or “LED tube replacement” will have come into the conversation at least once. Beginning in the early 2010s, LED tube replacements were the go-to lighting upgrade option for many large commercial facilities. This upgrade attracted site managers looking for LED savings without the cost of fixture replacements. On paper, it seemed like the perfect compromise.

After installation, most sites were initially happy with the increased lighting-related energy savings they received.

Unfortunately, LED tube replacements are not all they promised to be. Several facilities cited tubes falling from their fixtures since the fixture wasn’t designed to hold the weight of an LED tube. Other facilities reported fixtures with LED tubes catching on fire. Many sites found that LED tube replacements failed prematurely, the polar opposite of what is advertised about LEDs and their lifespans.

While many of these issues seem extreme and unlikely, they are surprisingly frequent occurrences for facilities that have selected this type of LED upgrade.

What’s worse is that the money saved from avoiding a full fixture upgrade is then used for inevitable damage repairs and replacements that occurred several years earlier than advertised.

So, why is one of the most popular LED lighting upgrade options creating the most problems?

Simply put, older lighting fixtures aren’t made to accommodate new technology. As a result, the hype of LED tube replacements delivers lackluster results.

Moreover, fixtures often need to be rewired or modified to work with updated tubes. Any time you modify fixtures, you must consider the risks involved. This includes the possibility of electric shock to maintenance employees replacing tubes and voided safety ratings.

If you manage a site that’s experienced these issues due to the perceived “holy grail” of LED lighting upgrades, you’re definitely not alone. There is a solution to alleviate these problems while increasing energy savings.

Complete LED lighting upgrades have a higher upfront cost, which can be brought down by rebates and incentives offered by your utility company, if applicable. But it’s an investment in your site that pays off in lighting-related energy savings for years to come.

You can also pair fixture replacement with lighting controls for increased savings, safety, and occupant comfort to raise your savings percentages up higher through utilizing intelligent, energy-efficient lighting systems.

If you could choose between reducing your lighting-related energy costs by 40% or by 80%+ instead, which would you choose?

The savings above came from a real project our team experienced this year. LED tube replacements may give you a better ROI and a cheaper upfront cost, but you’ll pay for them in energy and maintenance costs in the coming years.

If you’re curious about saving money and reducing employee risk on your site, the team at Relumination is ready to light the way forward.