How to Overcome Your Leadership’s Objections to a Lighting Retrofit

Your facility’s need for a lighting retrofit is clear to you. Yet, your supervisor, the owner, or another leadership team member needs to be convinced it’s time to move forward. Objections to a commercial lighting retrofit frequently are based on misconceptions you can overcome with facts. Here are ways to advocate for your facility’s commercial lighting retrofit in the face of three common objections.

Objection: A lighting retrofit is costly. Our organization has other budget priorities.

Response: Many organizations realize a return on investment for their lighting retrofit in less than three years. Today’s highly energy-efficient lighting solutions decrease maintenance and energy costs. For example, an Oregon grocery distribution center saved $189,811 in annual energy costs and $47,000 in annual maintenance costs as a result of its lighting retrofit. Experienced lighting solution providers like Relumination offer free lighting consultations to determine the viability of a lighting upgrade.

Also, a lighting retrofit usually qualifies for significant utility company incentives. The professionals at Relumination know how to get the maximum utility rebate their clients are eligible for.

Objection: We did a lighting upgrade 12 years ago. We don’t need a lighting retrofit now.

Response: That upgrade was to T8 fluorescent lighting. Switching to energy-efficient LED lighting would reduce energy costs. Although we did see a measure of energy savings from going to T8 fluorescent lighting back then, a portion of those savings resulted from T8 fluorescent’s lower light levels. By choosing LED lighting, we could simultaneously increase light levels and lower costs.

Objection: There isn’t a business need for a lighting retrofit.

Response: Commercial lighting retrofits have benefits for all of our stakeholders. Since a retrofit can improve light levels, employees make fewer mistakes. In turn, quality control improves and the risk of injury decreases.

In addition, better lighting makes customers feel safer when they come to our facility. For management, the advantages of a commercial lighting retrofit are in the bottom line.

When you overcome your leadership’s objections to a commercial lighting retrofit, contact us at Relumination for a free lighting consultation.

The Importance Of Energy-Efficiency

If you are an owner of a commercial building, something you should be familiar with is energy efficiency. Most people are familiar with energy efficiency but don’t realize how much your building could be using every day. You want to operate the best possible building with the best possible quality and services. Reducing your energy efficiency can be a game-changer in the quality and cost of your commercial building.

What Is Energy-Efficiency

Energy efficiency means using less energy to do the same task, eliminating energy waste. Increasing energy efficiency is the most cost-effective and often timely way to reduce the use of fossil fuels. In regard to commercial buildings, energy efficiency refers to the extent to which energy is consumed per square meter.

Why You Should Care

Lighting is one of the biggest costs in commercial buildings.  Upgrading your lighting to more energy-efficient solutions can decrease the overall cost of running your building. We have helped our customers save over 4 million dollars to date. Not only can decreasing energy efficiency help your wallet it can also help the environment. When you consume less power in a commercial building you are helping conserve resources and contributing to a healthier and safer world. The companies we have served have seen a 90% decrease in energy consumption.

How We Can Help

We offer lighting solutions that are sustainable and reduce energy consumption. Our customers are in a variety of industries and include companies such as WinCo Foods,  Dillard’s, Alberstons, and more. We assist facilities with reducing energy costs, improving lighting, lower maintenance expenses and most importantly reduce your environmental footprint. Which will make a healthier and happier environment for your employees.

Contact us today for all of your energy-efficient lighting solutions. And check out our blog for more energy-efficient tips!

LED; the Path to Cost Savings

Commercial building managers are continuously seeking innovative ways to reduce costs. However, lighting replacement projects are often pushed aside for upgrades in such areas as HVAC systems, storage fixtures, and interior space expansions. But did you know that lighting costs can comprise up to almost 17% of the facility’s total energy expenditures? This is often caused by using power-hungry fluorescent and incandescent bulb lighting. Now is the time to consider upgrading your lighting system to more energy efficient LED technology.

The most obvious advantage to using LED lighting in the commercial setting is that of increased energy efficiency. A 4-foot, 32 watt fluorescent bulb uses 34 watts due to ballast inefficiencies. However, an LED tube replacement in that same area uses only 16 watts. Multiply this difference over the course of a year, and it is plain to see that substantial energy savings in the thousands of dollars can be realized.

Incandescent lights also generate greater amounts of heat caused by electric current traveling through filament. In order to compensate for this added heat, cooling systems and fans must work harder, adding to energy costs.  LED, on the other hand, uses a process called electroluminescence which produces a much cooler light. LED uses light emitting diodes to accomplish this process without the fragile filaments that traditional bulbs use.

Reduction in maintenance costs is also another reason to use LED lighting.  A report by Energy Star states that LED last 35 to 50 times longer than the traditional bulbs. As a result, less material costs are realized in replacement purchases. This translates to decreased labor costs and frees up time for staff to attend to more pressing maintenance tasks.

From a functional standpoint, LED is substantially brighter than the traditional bulbs. This can increase productivity since dim lighting can contribute to eye strain and headaches. LED lighting can mimic actual daylight which the human body naturally reacts and easily adapts to.

LED systems can also be software controlled when used with smart lighting on a wireless network. By harnessing the power of IoT (Internet of Things) technology, sensors can be programmed and enabled from a mobile device or computer to control varying degrees of lighting in every area. This is a game-changer for flexibility in lighting options across the facility’s work areas.

Delaying the upgrade to LED lighting systems will continue to cost your business in increased energy, maintenance, and material bills. Purchase and installation costs have come down which further substantiates doing this upgrade as soon as possible. As your business continues to grow there will be future costs for renovations, expansions, and equipment. Installing an LED lighting system will result in savings that can be used towards these projects.

There is no better time to upgrade your facility’s lighting to an LED system. This lighting has proven to be incredibly energy efficient and virtually maintenance-free, while providing a more sustainable solution to the business. Contact us today for more information on our commercial LED lighting systems.

5 Simple Tips to Improve Energy-Efficiency in Your Business

As a business owner, you want to do everything you can to save money while ensuring your employees and customers have what they need. One of the ways that you can do this is by switching to energy-efficient lighting. Below are five tips that you can use to do this.

Switch to LED

LED bulbs are a lot more energy efficient than regular light bulbs. They use 50% less energy than typical light bulbs, and they last a lot longer, which is also much better for the environment. In addition, they give off a lot less heat, so this means you don’t have to run the air conditioning as much.

Take Advantage of Natural Light

If your business has large windows or skylights, take advantage of sunny days and you will see that your electricity bills are going down. When you are using the sunshine rather than lights, you are using a lot less energy.

Add Sensors & Controls

Lighting sensors and controls will help you save money by turning the lights off automatically when you are not using them. Advanced controls offer daylight harvesting, zone control, task tuning, dimming, temperature/humidity and energy monitoring.

Choose the Right Light for the Task

Match your lights to your tasks. LED is available in a lot of styles and you can use them anywhere. Simply find the right type of lighting for the area and you’ll save money.

These are just five quick and easy ways that you can save money with your lighting solutions in your business. Making your business energy efficient with lighting is a simple and quick way that you can cut costs without affecting your customers’ experience or your employees’ work. Want to know more? Contact us today and let us tell you how we can help.

LED and Controls for Manufacturing

In today’s competitive manufacturing world reducing costs can be the difference between profit and loss. Lighting is one of the least expensive ways to trim costs. As well as trimming costs lighting has been proven to boost worker morale and bring a positive mood into your space. Relumination is committed to helping commercial and industrial businesses reduce overhead costs, save electricity, minimize facilities management expenses, and decreasing our environmental footprint. Here is how we can help with LED and controls for manufacturing.

Benefits Of Manufacturing Lighting Solutions

– Reduced lighting  electricity and maintenance costs

– Improved lighting colors, levels, consistency and layout leading to increased productivity

– Longer fixture/lamp life span resulting in no production shut down

– Zero lost workdays to due to improved safety

– Reduces production turn-backs/mistakes

Why Led Is Better For Manufacturing Facilities

– Outdated incandescent or fluorescent fixtures won’t provide proper lighting

– LED uses a fraction of the power when compared to traditional bulbs making them energy efficient

– The lifespan of a LED bulb is up to 10,000 hours

– LED generates less heat, making it easier to keep a large facility cooler

– LED is durable and can hold up in a most workplace environments

Why Controls Help Manufacturing Facilities

– Dimming controls

– Programmable control zoning

– Sequence of operations

– Motion sensing

– Humidity/Temperature monitoring

– Data collection

Using LED paired with controls in your manufacturing building will benefit your budget, productivity, and employees.  LED will help take your lighting to the next level and reduce overall maintenance and operating costs. You have control over the rest of your manufacturing building and having control over your lights is important too.

Don’t just take our word for it. Check out some of our previous manufacturing projects to see for yourself how we can take your building to the next level. Contact us today to learn more about LED and lighting controls in your manufacturing building.

 

 

Choosing Quality LED Fixtures for Your Business

As with many business decisions, selecting the best LED fixtures for your business requires a careful weighing of cost against quality, value, and functionality. The wealth of choices and options available can seem overwhelming, and the decision hard to make without expertise in lighting. Here are some suggestions for examining your options.

How to Evaluate LED Fixtures

What should you look for when selecting LED fixtures? Keeping the lights on is, of course, essential, and is a significant cost of running your business, so you’ll want to know how to evaluate available options. Some aspects of LED fixtures to consider include:

  • Maintenance – LED fixtures have a dramatically longer lifespan than traditional incandescent or fluorescent lighting, at up to 250,000 hours. They also do not require ballasts, so you will see savings in the frequency of replacing bulbs as well as in not having to replace worn out ballasts. In addition, because LED lighting doesn’t “burn out” in the traditional sense, you won’t see sudden outages, but can schedule bulb replacement more flexibly.
  • Energy Consumption & Efficiency – It’s no secret that LED fixtures consume far less energy than traditional lighting. Understanding comparative energy consumption of traditional versus LED lighting can clarify potential savings.
  • Lighting Controls – Integrated lighting controls can be a key driver in lowering lighting expenses with features such as automated dimming and daylight and activity sensors. Lighting controls can provide substantial additional value in safety, ambience, and in employee and customer satisfaction.
  • Environmental Considerations – Do you have special environmental considerations for LED lighting? These could include high- or low-temperature spaces, indoor or outdoor settings, or moisture exposure. LED lighting, for example, is not cold-sensitive as fluorescent lighting can be.

What to Look for in Quality LED Fixtures

When you’re evaluating LED lighting solutions, here are some important specifications to note.

  • Lumens per Watt – Lumens measure how bright a bulb is, while watts show the power consumption of a bulb.  The measure of lumens per watt, indicates how efficient a bulb is.    Lumens per watt will vary depending on how a bulb makes light (incandescent, fluorescent, LED, etc.), the quality of materials used to make it, and how much energy is wasted as heat rather than light output. With traditional lighting, more watts = brighter light, so more electricity is needed to create brighter light. With LED lighting, the correlation is less direct. As an example, a 100w incandescent bulb has an efficiency of 16 lumens per watt, a 26w CFL bulb rates 61 lumens per watt, and a 22w LED bulb is most efficient at 73 lumens per watt.
  • Warranty – As with any smart business decision, be sure to consider warranties on parts and labor so you’re not left in the lurch if a problem arises.
  • L70 (LED Lifetime) Ratings – With traditional lighting, bulbs either emit light or don’t (they burn out). LED lighting will very slowly decrease in brightness over time. In general, it’s best to replace LED lighting when it has lost 30% of its brightness — that is, when it’s producing 70% of its original lumens. That 70% level is the L70 rating of an LED bulb.  For example, an LED bulb with an L70 or LED Lifetime rating of 50,000 hours means that it can be on for a minimum of 50,000 hours before it will have lost 30% of its brightness.
  • Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) – The visual temperature of lighting, measured in Kelvins,  indicates where the color of the light falls between cool, bluish-white and warm, golden light. Bright, cool light will generally be better suited to a warehouse or outdoor situation while warmer light will usually work best in a restaurant, hotel, or office.  Areas within a facility may also require different temperatures of light.
  • Motion Sensors – Motion sensors allow you to automate whether lights are on, and even how bright they are, depending on activity. You may want to have lighting that comes on automatically when someone enters a conference room or a particular warehouse area, for example. Because LED lighting doesn’t require warm-up time to come to full brightness, lights can come on quickly, as needed.
  • Dimming – Dimmable fixtures can be very useful in situations where constant light is needed but only active areas require the brightest light. Automatic and even manual dimming can dramatically reduce lighting costs by lowering usage in unneeded spaces.
  • Advanced Controls – various capabilities of a lighting control systems including, but not limited to, daylight harvesting, scheduling, task tuning, energy usage reporting, humidity/temperature monitoring. Advanced controls allow a broad or granular bird’s eye view allowing more specific controls for needs of the space.
  • Type of Fixture – The types of LED lighting fixtures available are nearly endless, and can be chosen and mounted to suit any need and environmental considerations. High bay lights can illuminate large warehouse areas, linear lighting can work well in aisles, troffer lights are common in offices and schools.

How to Compare Competitor Products

With so many options to consider when evaluating LED lighting choices, you will need to compare options carefully.

  • Credibility and Experience – Are the fixtures produced by a company with experience in the field and a solid reputation?
  • Value – The upfront cost should not be your only consideration. Cheaper LED lighting will often fail to achieve its stated L70 rating.
  • Up to Date – If you want to take advantage of the latest advances in integrated lighting control and automation, you’ll need to select compatible products.
  • Compliance – The Federal Energy Management Program has efficiency requirements for some commercial and industrial LED lighting. Other regulations may also be applicable. Ensure your lighting and contractor are knowledgeable and in compliance with such requirements.

The experienced team at Relumination is ready to help you choose the best LED lighting for your business, and apply our years of expertise and high standard of service from needs analysis through project completion, service, and support. Contact us today to see how we can work together for a brighter future for your business.

Reasons to Upgrade Facility Lighting

As a decision maker, you know that every decision you make for your business requires a thoughtful consideration of the costs and benefits involved. Here we will show that not only is a retrofit eco-friendly, safe, and cost effective in the long term, it is a great way to present a bright, clean, and contemporary look to everyone who enters your space.

Retrofitting will Save You Money

While the upfront cost of a retrofit may seem overwhelming, in the long term you will keep more of the profits you make because your overhead (lighting) will cost less. A cost benefit analysis of switching from fluorescent lighting to LED was done at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. They found that switching to LED would save them over $930,000 cumulatively over the course of 10 years.  The analysis shows that the savings in energy costs far outweighs the higher expense of the fixtures themselves. They also note that because LED generates far less heat, during warmer months and in warmer climates the cost of cooling is lowered.

Retrofitting Makes Your Space Safer

LED is solid state, which means there are no harmful gases to worry about. And because they are constructed from plastic, they won’t shatter into sharp shards of glass. And as previously stated they produce very little heat, so handling them after use will not burn bare skin. In addition, the light produced by LED is easier on the eyes and creates less lighting fatigue than fluorescent lights. As noted in the SWOSU analysis, this is due to their low emission of infrared light and zero emission of ultraviolet light.  All this adds up to a safer environment for your employees and customers.

Retrofitting is Better for the Environment

Less electricity used means less fossil fuels burned which means less carbon emissions. We all want to lower our carbon footprint and slow the rate of global climate change. While retrofitting your lighting may not be the most drastic green action you can make, it is among the lowest cost-of-entry steps you can take into a more carbon-neutral footprint.

Modern Fixtures for a Modern World

LEDs are bright, rich in color variety and send a message that your business is forward-thinking and environmentally conscious. When someone steps into your space, they should feel welcomed and safe. Bright, warm lighting is an excellent way to make your business more inviting. Cooler lights show a product’s true colors when on display. There are attractive solutions available for every need and purpose your business has.  And a well lit space makes people feel safer; they can see who they are with, what they are doing, and where they are more clearly.

In short, LED lighting technology is an easy win for everyone.

For more information on how to retrofit the lighting in your business contact us.