Benefits of a Lighting Retrofit

Photo courtesy of: www.yourshomedecoration.com

If you’re a building manager, owner, or even an employee, you may want to research the benefits of a lighting retrofit. Generally speaking, a lighting retrofit project consists of installing new lamps or bulbs, and ballasts into existing fixtures. Newer buildings are (usually) designed with the correct fixtures and the right amount of light, but older buildings often require work to help cut energy costs. Retrofitting your office has too many benefits to write out in a sentence, so here’s a list:

Save on utility costs by using less energy

Lighting accounts for over 30% of energy costs, on average. Taking advantage of lighting retrofits can greatly reduce your energy consumption, therefore lowering the amount you spend on lighting. Upgrading to technologies that support dimming gives employees the ability to control lighting, and can also lead to additional energy savings for the business.

Improve lighting quality 

Lighting retrofits improve lighting quality throughout the entire office. A specialist can do a walk-through of your facility to determine the best solution for your business. Newer technologies can provide you with better lighting quality. There are different styles and colors of lights, and the specialist will be able to tell you what will work best. The determination of exactly which new lamps and ballasts are used is dependent on several factors including the existing types of lamps and ballasts and the desired light levels for the space. Average CFL bulbs can last 8,000-10,000 hours. LED lamps, which most experts agree are the future of the lighting industry, can last 25,000-50,000 hours.

Pollution reduction

When I say pollution reduction, I don’t mean the amount of pollution pouring out of your building. What I’m talking about is the amount of pollution given off by the power plants that make those lights turn on. By consuming less electricity, your facility will help reduce the emissions from off-site power generation. These emissions can include carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

Reduced maintenance and labor costs

In relation to the information above, longer bulb life means having to change bulbs less often. This gives your maintenance team more time to focus its efforts elsewhere, without having to worry about lights being out.

Don’t forget to recycle

When completing a retrofit project, ask the project manager how to go about recycling bulbs as they burn out. There a number of companies that provide lamp and ballast recycling programs. Some companies will provide lighting distribution and recycling. If the company you’re working with doesn’t, they will know of a company that does.

 

References:
http://epb.lbl.gov/publications/NPS_guidebook.pdf