LED Lighting Retrofit to Save Ernst & Young $1 Million Dollars Annually

Ernst & Young recently completed one of the largest LED lighting retrofit projects in New York Cty by replacing less energy efficient ligting at its headquarters office building in Times Square.The Ernst & Young headquarters building is 32 floors with 650,000 square feet of office space and houses 5,800 employees.  It is estimated that Ernst& Young will reduce their lighting and mainteance costs by 50% and will save at least $1 million dollars per year in lighting energy costs.The LED lighting retrofit is just one example of Ernst & Young's commitment to reducing their environmental impact. They have set a goal to have 50% of the office space they occupy in 2013 be LEED certfied.

 LED Lighting Retrofit Project Just One Part of Overall Energy Goals

"Reducing the carbon footprint of our office space is part of our firm-wide strategy to reduce our environmental footprint as our business grows," says Leisha John, Ernst & Young Americas Director of Environmental Sustainability. "In fact, by the end of 2013, we plan to have a majority of our employees working in LEED and or Energy Star certified space. The completion of this lighting retrofit project in the New York office brings us one step closer to that goal, and will be part of that office’s Energy Star application.In addition to reducing our energy footprint, green technologies like LED help us to reduce our operating expenses, which is a best practice for any company," said John. "This project is the result of the collaboration between several infrastructure groups within Ernst & Young LLP, particularly the Facilities and Real Estate teams, and the Climate Change and Sustainability Services professionals, who advise clients on sustainability practices."

RedBird LED Receives Certification from DesignLights Consortium

RedBird LED Inc., is pleased to announce their second certification by the DesignLights Consortium (DLC) of their Cardinal™ LED Linear Retrofit products.  In May, RedBird LED  received certification by the DLC for their 22 watt LED Linear Replacement Lamp at both 4100K and 5000K CCTs.  The RedBird LED 18 watt Cardinal™ LED Linear Replacmentlamp  has now also been certified by DLC as a Qualified Product. Culminating several years of development and testing, the Cardinal™ LED Linear Replacement Lamp has become both the first, second, and still the only LED tube light in the world to receive DLC ation. 

By establishing the Cardinal LED tube light's position on the Qualified Product List of the DLC, RedBird LED has ensured that these products will be eligible for all rebate programs currently in place among the DLC's membership and will facilitate rapid approval by other rebate sources as well.

The DLC is the premier resource for high-quality review and certification of LED lighting products that are not covered under the Energy STAR designated categories. The DLC membership is a nationwide consortium of utilities, EMCs and energy-efficiency programs across the United States and Canada. For more information about the DesignLights Consortium please visit their website at www.designlights.org.

The new DLC Certification covers the 18 watt models at both 4100K and 5000K CCTs.  The 18 watt linear replacement lamp is the most popular model used for one to one fluorescent lighting retrofits of standard 32 watt T8 or 40 watt T12 fluorescent lamps.  A tube-for-tube retrofit of 32 watt T8s lamps with our 18 watt linear replacement lamps typically delivers a 15-20% increase in measured lux levels, when before and after conversion data is collected. These increased lighting levels provide optimal performance for most commercial office and retail settings.

JonathanEppstein, President of RedBird LED commented, “While we were ecstatic to have been the first, and only LED Linear Replacement Lamp to have qualified for DLC Certification with our 22 watt product in May, the DLC Certification for our 18 watt lamp is an even more exciting event. We expect the 22 watt Cardinal Linear Replacement lamp to have a greater impact on the adoption and deployment of this breakthrough product. The 22 watt linear replacement lamp product is a popular choice for parking garages and high-bay situations where the higher  lighting output is better deployed.  Having both our 22 and 18 watt LED tubes on the DLC Qualified Product List solidifies our position as the market leader in this sector of the LED lighting industry.”

Contact: info@redbirdled.com 678-733-2473, RedBird LED, Inc. 1202 Gail Drive, Atlanta, GA 30319

Utility Rebates Extended for Energy Efficient Lighting Retrofits

This week, the Department of Energy regulations that eliminate the manufacture of most T12 fluorescent lamps will be lamps take effect. The DOE wants to remove the energy inefficient T12 lamps from the commercial lighting market. Many companies, concerned about future supply and pricing of T12 lamps have pursued lighting retrofit projects to replace their existing lighting with more energy efficient T5 or T8 lamps.

Utility companies have encouraged these efforts by offering energy efficient lighting upgrade and replacement rebates. In many cases these rebates cover 50% of the installation costs for the lighting retrofit. These energy rebates allowed companies to replace their T12 lamps with their quality LED replacement lamps.

Utility companies have recently announced that they will be extending these rebates to allow more companies to retrofit their T12 lighting.

One utility company that extended their rebate time period is DTE Energy in Michigan. DTE is offering special cash incentives to business owners who invest in new energy efficient lighting technologies through July 31, 2012, as part of the company's Energy Efficiency Program for Business. The financial incentives are available to businesses that convert older model, T12 fluorescent lights to high performance or low wattage-high performance T8 lamps and electronic ballasts. In California, Northern California utility companies will continue to offer energy saving rebates/incentives for these T12 to T8, T5 or LED upgrades through December 2012.

"We realize this legislation could significantly affect many of our business customers," said Bill Clemens, manager of energy efficiency program for DTE Energy. "We want to help our customers cover a portion of the investment needed to upgrade to the latest energy efficient technology. By retrofitting their outdated lights now, businesses can not only take advantage of the incentives that will likely be discontinued, but they will also avoid increased costs of replacing those lights in the future."

The Energy Efficiency Program for Business (dteenergy.com/saveenergy) was launched in 2009 to help DTE Energy customers save money by using less energy. The program offers customers a wide array of energy efficiency ideas and incentives. Customers can earn incentives if they make improvements from a list of qualified efficiency upgrades for both gas and electric technologies, including energy-efficient lighting, drives, controls, heating ventilation and air conditioning and more. For more information, please visit the program website at www.dteenergy.com/saveenergy , or call 866-796-0512, Option 3.

RedBird LED is an Atlanta-based manufacturer and designer of high quality LED linear replacement lamps. Their products have been used in national grocery, convenience stores, major hotel chains and corporate facilities throughout the country. To learn more about retrofitting your facility lighting and available energy rebate programs please visit the RedBird LED website.

How to Avoid Mistakes on Energy Efficient Lighting Project

Energy efficient lighting retrofit projects have proven to be one of the simplest and direct ways to not only reduce lighting and maintenance costs but also reduce a corporation’ carbon footprint. This week is the deadline the DOE has set for the end of production of energy inefficient T12 lamps. This is just one more reason to pursue an energy efficient lightingretrofit program for your facilities. Most companies report saving between 35-60% of their annual lighting costs after retrofitting their lighting with LED linear replacement lamps.

Buildings Magazine recently reported on the energy saving benefits from a lighting retrofit program and 17 mistakes to avoid. Our thanks to author David Laybourn with Lime Energy. This was a helpful guide to some mistakes companies have made in past projects. This is a good learning opportunity even for experienced facility managers and engineers.

Choosing the wrong team- Make sure you select a vendor partner with experience and the ability to help you reach your energy saving goals.

Conflicting Chain of Command- Important to have a project manager that provides direction to the entire team who has budget and negotiating ability.

Neglecting Frontline People- Involve the end-users of the space from the beginning to get their buy-in and insure that they will be happy with finished project.

Calling in Experts Too Late- Involve all needed expertise at the start of the project rather than in the middle or after the project is done.

Underestimating the Importance of a Lighting Audit- The lighting audit provides the foundation for the entire project and integrates the financial goals with appropriate selection of lighting approaches and equipment.

Using the Wrong Approach- Use a system based approach rather than a single manufacturer approach. Energy savings are only maximized when all energy systems work together

Buying Based on price- “Energy-saving retrofit projects bought on price alone are usually a false economy. The few pennies saved upfront can cost thousands in lost savings, increased maintenance costs, and losses in worker productivity. Since the energy savings are paying for the project, why not choose higher quality and avoid risky situations, even if it means adding a few months to the payback?”

To read the full article please visit Buildings Magazinewebsite.

One area not addressed in the article is one of the major obstacles to launching an energy efficient lighting program -the upfront cost. Many utilities offer energy rebates for  upgrading lighting to LED lamps or other more energy efficient technology. Many times these rebate program cans pay for up to 50% of the installation cost.

Recently RedBird LED announced that their four foot Cardinal Linear Replacement LED Lamps were certified by the DesignLights Consortium. These products are the only four foot LED lamps that would qualify for energy rebates  from DLC Utility Company member firms. For more information on these products please visit their website.

LED Parking Garage Retrofit for Marriott Headquarters

Recently Marriott Hotel completed a significant parking garage lighting retrofit. Marriott chose high-efficiency LED lighting to replace traditional 400- to 1,000-watt high-intensity discharge lighting for the headquarters parking garage spaces. They retrofitted not only their corporate offices but also two million square feet of parking and garage space. Marriott said security for employees and guests and energy savings were top priorities when considering new lighting to cover the nearly 45 acres of parking and garage space.

LED lighting played a major role in the recent energy efficient lighting retrofit at Marriott hotel headquarters location in Bethesda, Maryland. This choice also was consistent with their corporate commitment to sustainability.  Marriott has 13 hotels across all of their brands that are Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED-certified by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), including the headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland. 

 LED lighting typically provides energy savings between 35-70% and their long life expectancy reduces maintenance costs. Marriott estimated their annual savings for the lighting project would be $104,000 per year with an additional maintenance savings of $210,000 over the next 10 years.  As if these savings were not significant enough, the hotel chain also received more than $130,000 in utility rebates and EPACT savings.

 The cost for the lighting replacement will be paid for in less than two years.  Energy rebates are very important factors in helping companies reduce a substantial portion of the upfront costs of lighting upgrades or retrofits.

 “We preferred the exceptional output and uniformity of GE ‘s LED lighting,” says Jim Young, vice president, corporate facilities for Marriott International, Inc.  “GE performed a comprehensive lighting audit of our existing system, provided photometric analysis with 3D renderings of the new system, and forecasted our energy and maintenance savings. GE excelled as both a trusted strategic consultant and solutions provider.”

For more information on parking garage lighting retrofits and technical information on LED linear lamps please visit the RedBird LED website.

Cardinal™ LED Linear Replacement Lamp Products by RedBird LED Receive Certification from the DesignLights Consortium

RedBird LED, announces certification by the Design Lights Consortium (DLC) of their Cardinal LED Linear Retrofit products. By establishing the Cardinal LED tube light's position on the Qualified Product List of the DLC, RedBird LED has ensured that these products will be eligible for all rebate programs currently in place among the DLC's membership and will facilitate rapid approval by other rebate sources as well. The DesignLights Consortium is the premier resource for high-quality review and certification of LED lighting products that are not covered under the Energy STAR designated categories. The DLC membership is a nationwide consortium of utilities, EMCs and energy-efficiency programs across the United States and Canada.

Cardinal™ Linear Replacement Lamps are high quality replacements for standard fluorescent tubes (T8 and T12) and provide electrical savings of 35% to 50%. Installation is easy, these linear lights use the same terminal connections as fluorescent tubes, and a universal voltage power supply inside the light which eliminates the need for a fluorescent ballast. These linear lights use surface mount diodes and are rated at a 50,000+ hours of lifetime. Exceptional thermal management is achieved using an aluminum core PCB to carry the LEDs which is thermally bonded to a ribbed aluminum heat sink a ‘D’ channel extrusion that forms the backshell of the product. The outer shell is a robust design with a shatterproof polycarbonate lens. A variety of color temperatures are available, making this product ideal for thousands of lighting applications.

Contact: info@redbirdled.com 678-733-2473, RedBird LED, Inc. 1202 Gail Drive, Atlanta, GA 30319

Newburgh City School District Saves Millions in Lighting Upgrade

Newburgh, New York  Value Energy Solutions, one of the largest lighting installation and lighting retrofit companies in the nation, recently started a large energy efficient lighting retrofit project for Newburgh Enlarged City School District in Newburgh, New York. The Newburgh School District was faced with the challenge of reduced state funding and needed to reduce operating costs to continue to provide a high quality education for their students with minimal impact to tax payers. Because one of their largest rising costs was energy, the school district created a formal energy management policy.

The business office of the Newburgh Enlarged City School District contacted Jim Smith – Northeast Regional Manager for Value Energy Solutions to explore replacing and updating the lighting in their school system. The Value Energy Solutions team thoroughly reviewed the existing lighting and the School District’s energy saving goals. Value Energy Solutions recommended retrofitting the existing - 40 watt T-12 lamps burning at 45 watts with more energy efficient 18 watt T-5 adapters. These adapters are designed to burn a 28 watt T5 lamp at 18 watts. They allow the school to use the more energy efficient lamps without the need to replace their existing fluorescent lighting fixtures. The school district will purchase over ten thousand 18 watt adapters- which will provide an estimated energy savings of up to 60% and provide over $100,000 in annual energy savings. In addition to the ease of installation, the adapters reduce future maintenance costs and the school’s carbon footprint.

Lighting retrofits substantially reduce energy costs and these savings typically offset the upfront lighting replacement and installation costs within two to three years. There are a number of government and utility rebate and funding programs available to help defray the upfront costs of lighting retrofit projects. Newburgh City School District was able to take advantage of a generous rebate program offered by their utility company, Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp.

For more information on available financing programs and energy efficient rebates, please contact Chris Owens @ Value Energy Solutions at 770.335.0909.

About Value Energy Solutions- Value Energy Solutions is one of the largest energy efficient lighting retrofitting companies in the United States. Realizing the need for building owners, property managers and facility engineers to find ways to conserve energy and cut their operating costs, Value Energy Solutions provides improved energy efficient lighting products as replacements for existing higher wattage fixtures. Value Energy Solutions was launched as a new venture by owners Dean Nations and Alan Carlquist as an expansion of their existing company, Value Lighting, Inc., a premier lighting wholesaler and distributor of lighting products.

The Value Energy Solutions lighting retrofit programs are offered for all commercial building types including Parking Garages, Warehouse/Industrial Buildings, Hotels, Retail Chains, Apartments and Office Buildings.  Value Energy Solutions is located at 1110 Allgood Industrial Court, Marietta, GA 30066. To request more information  please call or email Value Energy Solutions - Director of Sales - Chris Owens chris@valueenergysolutions.com or 770.335.0909.  Distributorships and sales opportunities are available nationwide….

For sales opportunities in the NY Metro area please contact Jim Smith @ 845-988-6755/J.smith@valueenergysolutions.com

About Newburgh School District- The Newburgh Enlarged City School district is located at "The Crossroads of the Northeast," an area on the west bank of the Hudson River 60 miles north of New York City and 80 miles south of Albany.

The school district serves students from four neighboring municipalities: the City of Newburgh, the Town of Newburgh, New Windsor, and a small portion of Cornwall. More than 50% of the District's students live in the City of Newburgh.