Category Archives: LED Lighting Retrofit

The LED Light Bulb Has Arrived

Posted on by
1

Compact Fluorescent Bulb

After a recent visit to a big box hardware store I had to explain to my 9-year-old daughter why we had to deposit our old compact fluorescent light bulbs in the big blue container with the skull and crossbones on it. I explained that this was a hazardous material and disposing it in here was good for the environment. So without missing a beat she asked, “If that was the reason, why was it safe to use this light bulb in my bedroom?” Great question!

As with most families we stretch our budget to its limit and try to save money where we can. We have only read about the day when a quality LED lamp (bulb) would be available to the masses. So for many of us waiting, we can finally exhale since that day has arrived.

Our family is now on a mission to replace our energy wasting incandescent and toxic compact fluorescent light bulbs to safe, long-lasting LED lights.

Businesses have seen the many benefits that LED lighting provides from saving energy and operating costs for the past few years, especially as the technology has improved and a variety of retrofit options hit the market.

LED Lighting Kitchen

In my own home, if I change my exterior light bulbs, which are on for 10 hours per night, and the interior light bulbs, (extremely high family room and kitchen ceilings) I should have my payback in less than 12 months!

Philips EnduraLED

Due to the long life span of LEDs, I won’t have to chase my family around the house shutting off lights in rooms where no one is sitting, or ask my neighbor to borrow his extremely high ladder to change those hard to reach light bulbs.

Cree LED BulbRecent industry predictions that LED lamp prices would be coming down were realized when a major LED manufacturer matched it’s cost to marketplace need with a reasonably priced, quality LED light bulb aimed squarely at the residential marketplace. Offering a line of LED light bulbs to replace the 40W and 60W incandescent, they have achieved the sweet spot for many household budgets – between $10 and $13.

We can now safely install a truly green product, which is safe to handle, offers a quality light source, all for the price of a combo meal at a fast food restaurant!

For LED lighting solutions, visit the experts at LED Source – 866.900.4533

Related articles

Lighting the Empire State Building and Miami Tower with LEDs

Posted on by
Reply

Empire State Building LED LightingWhat does it take to light an iconic skyscraper today? Look no further than the recent LED lighting upgrades for the exterior of the Miami Tower and Empire State Building. Conventional lighting consisting of metal halide fixtures no longer can compete to the energy-efficiency and versatility of LED lighting. In the past for a building’s exterior to have color, expensive colored gels had to manually be installed to fixtures. This was not only costly to have maintenance crews perform the task; it also was very limited in the colors available, and forget about the possibility of changing colors on demand.

Miami Tower LED Lighting LED SourceNow with state-of-the-art LED lighting, color changing can now be done at the push of a button from an iPhone, and the color palette has increased from a handful to now over 16 million color combinations.

A trend is underway with city skylines being reinvented with LED lighting. Iconic buildings such as the Miami Tower, a 47-story building in the heart of downtown Miami, and one of the most famous buildings in the world, the Empire State Building, have been resurrected thanks to LED lighting.

Miami Tower LED Lighting LED SourceThe Miami Tower underwent a transformation with their exterior lighting in September as part of a broader initiative by building owner, Jones Lang LaSalle. The Tower was previously lit with 382 metal halide fixtures consuming 878,519 kWh annually. The new LED lighting system reduced the number of lights to 216 using Philips Color Kinetics ColorReach Powercore and ColorGraze Powercore fixtures. Energy consumption was reduced by 807,668 kWh annually, which represents a total energy savings of almost 92%.

Miami Tower ColorReach LED SourceWith the new LED lighting system, almost $260,000 annually in related energy and operating costs has been saved.  Even with these incredible benefits, what really sets it apart is the ability to use the building’s exterior almost as a canvas to create beautiful color changing transitions and images such as the American Flag. The possibilities are almost limitless with LED lighting.

Alicia Keys LED Lighting Empire State BuildingNot to be out done, the Empire State Building, the world’s most famous office building, recently changed its traditional fixtures to Philips Color Kinetics LED lights. It officially unveiled the innovative LED lighting system in a coordinated live 5 station on-air radio and internet broadcast, synchronized to the music of Grammy® Award winner Alicia Keys. The custom light show on top of the Empire State Building created a stunning event for all of New York, and the world, to see. From color changing transitions and cross-fades, to strobes and bursts of light, the new LED system delivered superior light and vibrancy levels in real-time, unlike the previous floodlights.

The dawn of a new era for architectural lighting is upon us. LED lighting is not only cost-effective; it allows buildings to stand out from the crowd with a range of colors only limited by imagination.

Watch the Empire State Building LED Lighting Event with Alicia Keys.

Watch the Miami Tower LED Lighting Case Study Video.

Reinvent a city skyline with help from the LED lighting experts at LED Source®.

Related articles

Skyscrapers Going Green with LED Lighting

Posted on by
2

As power plants struggle to keep up with the demand of the world’s electricity requirements, it is essential that the biggest consumers of electricity, such as commercial buildings, find various way to reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprint. Retrofitting a skyscraper with energy-efficient LED lighting can seem like a daunting task, but the benefits and savings can certainly outweigh the initial expense. In many cases the ROI for an LED lighting upgrade is less than 3 years and “Green Buildings” can attract the most environmentally conscious tenants.

Miami Tower DaytimeWith lighting being responsible for 35% of energy consumption in buildings, finding ways for building owners to lower operating costs while being environmentally responsible has become a priority.

Solid state LED lighting not only provides better performance than most conventional light sources, it has the added benefits of increased durability and longevity. It also lowers the environmental impact especially when compared to incandescent, halogen, metal halide and fluorescent lighting.

Tenants and building owners looking to become more green friendly have also noticed that by upgrading to LED lighting, not only are they reducing their carbon footprint, they are also lowering operating expenses. Today, there are many tax benefits and rebates being offered by both federal and local governments for building looking to go green. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) even offers incentives to buildings looking improve their energy efficiency.

Miami Tower Metal Halide FixturesOne example of a skyscraper making the switch to LED lighting is the 47-story Miami Tower in downtown Miami, Florida. The building’s previous exterior lighting system consisted of 382 metal halide fixtures consuming 878,519 kWh annually. To achieve an ever-changing color effect, it required the manual changing of high-maintenance and expensive color gels for each fixture.

Miami Tower LED SourceLED Source® worked with the team at Philips Color Kinetics to provide a new LED lighting system using the ColorReach Powercore and ColorGraze Powercore fixtures. Using only 216 fixtures, new LED lights have a color palette of 16 million colors and can be changed at the touch of a button.

It is estimated that the Tower will have an annual reduction of 807,688 kWh – a total energy savings of 92%, equivalent to 1.2 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, Jones Lang LaSalle, the building’s owner and Management Company, would subsequently save nearly $260,000 annually in energy, maintenance and operating costs.

Miami Tower LED SourceThrough the use of LED lighting, city skylines are able to reinvent themselves while becoming environmentally conscious. If other skyscrapers around the globe took the same initiative as the Miami Tower, imagine the savings and benefits to the planet that would be achieved from LED lighting.

LED Lighting Improves Parking Garage Safety

Posted on by
4

HID Parking GarageParking garages equipped with LED lighting play a big role in the safety of our vehicle and person. The other day when I was parking my vehicle, the garage was dark and I asked myself “Do I feel safe and will my vehicle be safe?”

Garages with well-illuminated areas help to deter crime. However, dark areas, commonly associated with inefficient fluorescent or High Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting, can signal a safety issue and prevent a motorist from selecting that garage.  Using LED lighting in a parking garage will not only help in providing a sense of safety, but will also lower operating costs.

LED Lighting Parking GarageWith the technological advances made in solid state LED lighting technology, retrofitting an existing fixture is easy. It is also one of the fastest ways to increase the bottom line and improve safety by eliminating premature outages and dark areas. A great example would be the C2D LED fixture by Lighting Science. It has no ballast, thus eliminating the buzzing sound commonly heard in HID fixtures, and has a life span of 85,000 hours, which means no relamping. The C2D uses up to 66% less energy than a metal halide fixture and provides a better illumination.

With LED lighting, property owners and managers can immediately lower their energy consumption and maintenance costs, while improving safety for patrons and vehicles.

FIU LED Lighting Parking GarageThe next time you have to park at a parking garage, remember to look for the one using LED lighting. The walk back to your car won’t be so scary.

For more information on retrofitting a parking garage, contact the LED lighting experts at LED Source®.

Upgrade Your Gas Station To LED Lighting

Posted on by
2

Gas Station LED Lighting LED SourceIf you are the owner of a gas station, then the daily maintenance of your business is priority. Making sure garbage cans are not over flowing, lighting fixtures are working and fuel pumps are functioning, is a daily routine. Aside from convenience, fuel prices and necessity, do you know why some motorists choose to stop at your gas station and why others do not? Could it be your lighting? Should you upgrade your gas station to LED lighting? In most major metropolitan areas, you can usually find a gas station within a 5-mile radius and pass several stations on your daily commute. Knowing the factors that can influence a customer’s decision to visit your gas station can seriously impact the bottom line and affect the growth of your business.

One of the main factors is your lighting. After sunset, take a look at your gas station from across the street and ask yourself “Does my lighting draw the attention of passing motorists. Does it make them feel safe?” If your answer is “No,” then you may want to consider upgrading your gas station to LED lighting. For the past 10 years, most gas stations that operate 24 hours a day use expensive High Intensity Discharge (HID) fixtures for the lights in the canopy. HIDs consume 175W to 400W of energy, but lose lumen output over time while utilizing the same amount of power. In other words, they are a waste of money and energy for less performance. HIDs also require a ballast, which means more maintenance for you. Once you factor in the costs of replacing a broken fixture (labor and lift rental), daily energy usage and maintenance, it’s easy to see how HID lights have an expensive cost-of-ownership.

Now fast forward to 2012 and imagine an LED fixture that uses 80% less energy, lasts 20X longer, reduces maintenance, emits virtually no heat and comes with a warranty of up to 5 years. Allow me to introduce you to the next generation of gas station lighting – LEDs. Over the past several years LED lighting technology has been replacing traditional lighting fixtures and lamps because they last longer, save energy, illuminate brighter and require less maintenance than halogen, incandescent, fluorescent and metal halide lighting.

Mini 300 LED Gas Station CanopyPhillips innovative Mini 300 LED under canopy fixture is a retrofit solution for gas station owners looking to upgrade their existing fixtures without major modifications. This LED fixture can replace a 400W metal halide fixture, consumes only 110W, can be dimmed to 30% and last over 100,000 hours. Phillips estimates a Return On Investment (ROI) of less than 4 years and depending on where your gas station is located, you could qualify for an energy rebate from your local utility company, thus reducing the cost of upgrading and ownership. If you’re still unsure about making the switch to LEDs, consult with a gas station LED lighting EXPERT at LED Source®.

Occupancy Sensors: A Good Idea?

Posted on by
5

Is installing occupancy sensors a good idea? Conditionally, yes. So you’re thinking, what are the conditions? Keep reading and I promise to let you know.

Maestro Wireless DimmerLet’s take a look at how occupancy sensors can save you money and have a positive impact on the environment. I’m sure we’ve all heard our parents tell us while growing up, TURN OFF THE LIGHTS! Sorry about the shouting, but that’s how I heard it when I grew up. As we got older and started paying our electric bills (for our homes and businesses) we started to understand that turning off unused lights would save us money. That’s exactly what occupancy sensors do; they turn off the lights when not needed and turn the lights on when they are needed. No more wasted light means no more wasted energy, no excess burned coal! Woohoo, you’re saving money on your lighting and producing fewer carbon dioxide emissions.

This sounds like a great idea and by this point you may be wondering why I’ve chosen to put all of these words to digital paper. I’m about to let you know.

Lutron Radio Powr Savr Wireless Occupancy SensorIn keeping with saving money, let’s say you’ve decided to put your money saving occupancy sensors on compact fluorescent and fluorescent lamps. Wow, now you’re really saving money with those efficient lights. Right? Well, maybe not so much. As you may know, frequent power cycling shortens the life of compact fluorescent and fluorescent lamps. Uhh, what? Turning the lights on and off repeatedly will drastically reduce the life of your CFL and Fluorescent lamps. This means the energy savings you thought you were getting are now being eaten up by lamp replacement. Now you have to recycle your burned out, mercury filled, CFL’s and buy new ones on a much shorter time line than the “10,000” hour life span.

True story: A coffee shop owner installed an occupancy sensor in the bathroom with compact fluorescent lamps. The CFL’s were being replaced once a month due to the high on/off cycling. They were paying $4 per lamp and there were 3 lamps, so $12 per month wasted on mercury filled light. I’m sure you’ve already guessed the solution; that’s right, LED lamps. The life of an LED is not affected by frequent on/off cycling. This means, the energy savings you are looking for will not be wasted on lamp replacement! Add the even longer life and lower energy usage and what do you have? A truly cost efficient solution!

So yes, occupancy sensors are a good idea when attached to the right lighting technology and yes you guessed it…LED lighting.

For more information contact the LED lighting experts at LED Source or call 866-900-4533.

Switch To LED Lighting Today

Posted on by
6

People ask all the time “Why should I move into LED lighting now?  What ‘s the advantage to doing it now instead of waiting for a year or two for the prices to come down?”  My answer is pretty simple “Think of all the money you’ll save over the next couple of years!”

Yes, the prices of LED lamps and fixtures seem to go down all the time.  But that’s just an illusion.  The least expensive products are generic, no-brand items that aren’t what we do here at LED Source®.  We only carry the best of the best, Philips, Cree, Toshiba, Lighting Science Group, Color Kinetics, EcoSense, etc.  Our portfolio consists of the best because we’re approached daily by a myriad of LED companies and we have our pick of whom to carry.   There is no reason to carry anything else since we pride ourselves on service, product knowledge and excellence.  Only brands that can offer the same need apply here.

Our fixture pricing is pretty consistent with our vendors, so we can offer you the best price on the best products today.  If I can lower your electric bill by 30% a month by replacing your lights with LEDs and the entire job will pay for itself in less than two years, how can you afford not to switch?  There might be something bigger, brighter and better a few years down the road, but you’ll already have something awesome in your space and have saved enough money to pay for it a few times over.

LEDs are exactly like computers.  There might be something bigger, better and less expensive around the corner, but can you wait on getting one?  Generally, the opportunity cost of waiting is much greater than moving forward with the best thing available now.  As I’ve said, LED lighting is not just the future, but it’s the present.  Do your facility and yourself a favor and give LED an opportunity to save you money, time and maintenance headaches.  I assure you, the conversion is worth it.

For more information or to speak with one of our LED lighting experts, contact LED Source® at 866-900-4533.

Switch Your T12 Fluorescents To LEDs Before It’s Too Late

Posted on by
1

We get tons of inquiries here about people looking to replace their old, worn out or dead lights with the new, latest and greatest LEDs.  Sometimes it’s for cosmetic reasons, sometimes it’s to save money, and sometimes it’s to go green.  If you currently have T12 fluorescent fixtures in your space, you can accomplish all 3 goals in one fell swoop.

LED Source® carries multiple lines of 1×4, 2×2 and 2×4 LED fluorescent fixture replacements.  We have several excellent options from Cree.  They are the CR14, CR22 and CR24 respectively.  They come in a very attractive package and at a very attractive price.  Check out the picture, look how sharp that fixture looks.  Go one, check it out, I’ll wait.  Not only is it a looker but lasts longer and that saves you money.  The LED lamp will last over 13 years if you use it 12 hours a day.  T12 lamps claim to last almost 3 years at that amount of usage, but we all know that they’re very dim if they make it that long and usually burn out well before that from the on/off cycling they undergo.  That doesn’t even take into account replacing the ballasts in your system every few years.  Add up the costs of the parts and labor to do that and you’re looking at a significant maintenance cost.  Plus, T12 lamps are going to be phased out as early as late 2012 and won’t even be available!

Not only do you save on lamp and ballast replacement costs, but you will also save on your electrical bill every month.  The typical T12, 4 lamp fixture uses 172 Watts of power between the lamps and ballast.  The Cree CR24 equivalent uses only 50 Watts.  So, not only are you saving money and time not having to replace components, but you are also using 71% less energy per fixture.  That’s significant savings on just a few fixtures; imagine if you have hundreds or thousands of these in your facility what the savings would be.

And finally, if you’re looking to go green, LED is the lighting solution for you.  They are mercury free (all fluorescent lamps have mercury in them and must be specially disposed of), recyclable and don’t contain the dangerous chemicals that are in other types of lighting. With the combination of easy maintenance, cost savings and excellent good looks, there is no better solution on the planet than to replace your fluorescent lighting with LED fixtures from LED Source®.

Give LED Source® a call today at 866.900.4533 and speak with one of our LED lighting experts.

LED Lighting for Museums and Galleries

Posted on by
2

As a fellow LED Source® employee, some of my favorite clients to retrofit to LED are museums and galleries. The difference with what we do is that we continually strive to work with manufacturers and products that achieve the highest standards for color temperature, which is very important to the art world.

People who spend a lot of time in museums and galleries have become very accustomed to viewing art under halogen lights. Halogen has a color temperature somewhere between 2700K and 3000K, but it definitely adds warmth (yellow) to the light. Particularly as it is used with a dimmer, halogen light turns more amber and orange (warmer) as it is dimmed. With LED, control over the color temperature of the light becomes much more precise. LEDs hold its color temperature even though lamps can be dimmed to around 5% of their light output. Finally, low light does not mean orange light!

Because people are “used to” the warmth of halogen, they sometimes don’t initially react well to the CRI accuracy of a true 3000K minus the yellow/orange of the halogen. However, particularly in a setting where bases, walls and cases are white and crisp, such as in a modern art setting, the 3000K look stunning. It isn’t usually a goal here to make the walls and bases look yellow, after all, they are white and should look white even when lit. 3000K are just warm enough, but just white enough to keep whites crisp and make colors vivid and true.

However, for more traditional museums where walls are colored and there is a lot of wood and gold (on frames, accents, etc.), staying closer to the 2700K temperature helps to retain the warmth and the traditional appearance that we love.

With traditional lighting, galleries have often appeared rather dim because of the need to reduce the damage to the art over time owing to the UV and heat generated by halogen. To counter the damage from simply lighting the art, museums have had to use UV filters and very low light settings on their antiquities, to prevent fading and heat damage, especially to fragile pieces such as papers and textiles. With LED it is now possible to light such fragile art a bit brighter than the traditional standards owing to the fact that LEDs do not emit UV and will not cause heat damage to the art. With LED, UV and heat concerns are a thing of the past, allowing art to be well lit without risking damage.

The most important thing about correctly lighting art spaces is to test a variety of LED lamps in the setting itself. Seeing is believing. When the color temperatures and beam angles are compared side-by-side on the actual art, it usually becomes very clear what looks best. Avoiding “hot spots,” glare, and light that is too white or intense is crucial. Because LEDs appear brighter to our eyes — even though the foot-candle readings on the light meter are the same or less — it may take a bit of testing to settle on exactly the right lamps (wattage, lumens, colors, beam angles, etc.) for any given setting. Don’t give up, though. LED is definitely the best choice for the art world. This is where a consulting someone who is really well versed with how to work with LED products can be invaluable as you make the switch.

So — let there be LIGHT!! Thanks to beautiful LEDs, art can be seen as it was truly intended to be! Please feel free to contact me if I can help you light the art in your world!

Leigh Ann Fulkerson is the Senior Sales Consultant at LED Source® in Lawrence, Kansas. She can be reached by calling 866.900.4533

For more information contact the LED lighting experts at LED Source®.

High-Rise Condos and LEDs – Part 2

Posted on by
1

In a previous blog, I discussed the use of LED lighting in the high-rise condo market, mainly focusing on the interior portions of the high-rise and the property manager’s responsibility to their tenants.  I will be focusing on another section of the typical high-rise condo, parking garages and site lighting.

Parking garage and site lighting are some of the highest energy consumption light fixtures on the property.

The majority of the parking garage fixtures are typically on 24/7 by code requirements.  Usually these fixtures are at least 250 Watt Metal Halide and are on 6-8 ft. centers.  In the instance of a 5-story parking garage, there could be upwards of 300 lighting fixtures.  It is pretty easy to see, just how fast the energy costs can become substantial!

The numerous LED replacement fixtures on the market for this application fall in the 70-80 Watt range. In most applications, a one-for-one replacement can be done and an immediate energy savings are achieved.  Once the installation is done, there will be NO maintenance required –  NO lamp replacement and NO ballast replacement.  When all of these elements add up, energy savings and no maintenance, the Return On Investment is typically 2-3 years.  After the ROI is achieved, the installation becomes a positive cash flow generator due to the energy and maintenance costs savings. Last but certainly not least, the quality of lighting is much higher with LED lighting.

Another popular LED retrofit among property managers is site lighting.  Site lighting is defined just as it sounds – any type of lighting fixture that illuminates the site.  These fixtures could be wall packs, floodlights, parking lot fixtures, etc.   The site lighting is essential to safety of the tenants and the overall perception of the property. Most of these current fixtures are in the 200 to 400 Watt range.

An LED retrofit  for these fixtures are typically in the 40 to 90 Watt range.  As you can see, the energy savings, again, add up pretty quickly.  Since retrofitting with LED lamps means NO lamp replacements and NO ballast replacements, the ROI typically less than 2 years.

The biggest impact fixtures in this category have are parking lot fixtures on site.  These existing fixtures are typically High Pressure Sodium fixtures that will output a “yellowish” light, a very warm output. This is typically around a 2700-Kelvin temperature.

With an LED Retrofit, the output can not only be a specific color temperature, but it can also be focused on a particular area, without the “hot spots” associated with High Pressure Sodium fixtures.  These fixtures also have the ability to dim to a specified level when needed, such as after heavy traffic times.  Once again, another energy savings feature, which translates into money savings.

In a high-rise condo the property management firm is responsible for operating the building on a budget, and saving money is at the top of their list of priorities.  Money saved from the use of LEDs can go a long way in helping other areas of expenditures.

For more information on LED lighting, contact the LED lighting experts at LED Source®.