Retrofitting: A Welcome Change from Inefficient Lighting

With the cost of energy on the rise, business owners are in search of ways to save money. One solution they have discovered is retrofitting their T8 lighting. This solution makes even more sense when you consider that lighting in a commercial environment accounts for the single largest portion of overall energy costs. Since the U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts lighting costs in the commercial sector will continue to be the most important end use through 2020, upgrading now will save money for many years.

 For businesses currently using high intensity discharge (HID) lighting, switching to a T5 fluorescent lighting system can mean extraordinary savings. The typical fixture efficiency of the T5 is 90% compared to 70% for the HID. Retrofitting to the T5 also reduces system watts per fixture from 458 to 236.

These facts translate to substantial financial benefits. An automobile manufacture facility manager stated that after his company made the decision to retrofit 700 existing 320-watt fixtures to the T5, savings totaled an astonishing $10,000 per month in utility costs.

The decision to retrofit lighting does not have to be limited to the interior of your business. Efficient, retrofitted LED signs save not only energy and money–they also affect the image of your business. While neon signs are expensive to repair and can display unsightly burnouts, more modern LED signs are simple to install and repair, consistent in their brightness, and longer lasting.

This long-term thinking should also be present when choosing lighting for new construction. Taking into account not only the cost of a lighting system, but also the cost of its operation is key in keeping overall spending low. That is why it is smart to invest in high quality, energy-efficient systems from the start.