There are many different types of commercial lighting to be used both indoors and outdoors. Inside there’s general lighting, wall lights, ceiling lighting, retail and office lights, table lighting, and light fittings. Outside we may also use ceiling lighting along with area and street lighting, garden and pillar lights, underwater lighting, in-ground up-lights, recessed and surface mounted lighting, lights for a tennis court, A-, Bi- and symmetrical flood lights, and lighting columns.
7 things to think about when considering commercial lighting:
Efficiency: LEDs are 2 to 3 times more efficient than metal halide and HPS. However, some LED brands may be more efficient than others.
Rebates: When you go to update your company lighting keep in mind that a lot of times you can get rebates. If the new stuff you’re buying is commercial qualified and DLC (DesignLights Consortium) qualified, your purchases will be opened up to rebates through your utility company. Because of this, it both reduces your initial investments and upgrades the lighting at the same time. This also means that your new lights will probably be more energy efficient, saving you money all around.
ROI: ROI stands for return on investment. By replacing old fixtures with newer, more efficient ones, you will be slowly saving money. The energy consumption is cut down by 2, 3, or even 4 times (especially in larger facilities), which means that the money you’re saving as they’re running can be looked at as a return on what you spent to buy and install them.
Safer Environment: Keeping low quality lighting is not only unsafe but also provides less than desirable visibly. This is because the longer they’re used, the less lumens the light source gives off (lumen depreciation). This causes underlit areas which usually are also the result of a bad installation job in which the light doesn’t function correctly. However, this isn’t a big issue with LEDs as they depreciate at a much slower pace and quite a bit less. In addition, they don’t flicker or buzz as do their metal halides or HPS equivalents.
Retrofit: This refers to replacing just the lighting component and not the shell it is in. This is a less expensive option from all angles—the actual product and the installation cost.
Lumens per watt: Typically people wonder how many watts the lamp must be when they go to replace it. However, a better question is to ask how many lumens it’ll need to give off. The reason for this is that you may not need as many watts as you think you do because new lamps are more energy efficient. This means they probably give off more lumens per watt than previous “models,” if you will. Therefore, think in lumens per watt.
Smart Purchases: Purchasing inefficient lighting is only cheaper in the beginning. This is why buying LEDs is a smarter option. Not only are they more likely to save you more money in the long run, the upfront cost is also decreasing. They last 2 to 3 times longer than metal halide and HPS lights, making them a better choice all-around.
Switching from T12s to LEDs
The first thing you should probably identify when switching to LEDs is what your goal is in it. Are you simply changing them because of regulations or are you doing it because you’re eager for a new look?
Once you’ve decided on your goal, you need to determine your budget. Obviously, the goal will influence the budget a bit, but be sure to keep in mind the fact that energy savings may cost more at first but save money in the end. You have several options when it comes to replacements. I cover them all below briefly.
- Use a metallic ballast-compatible plug-and-play LED with the existing ballast. (The issue with this is that the ballast could eventually go out, leaving you with no power to the LED you just put in.)
- Install a new electronic ballast and electronic ballast-compatible linear LEDs. (This is a good solution because you probably won’t have to touch it for years and its upfront cost is less than getting a whole new fixture.)
- Get a new LED tube with a remote driver inside the fixture. (This is nice because you don’t need a ballast. It’s also the most energy efficient and reliable as well as good for locations that need high-performance lighting. However, it is a more expensive option than the previously stated ones.)
- Install a direct wire linear LED lamp. (This bypasses using a ballast by using an LED tube. Even though this isn’t the safest idea, it is one that has been used before and is a valid option.)
- Get a whole new LED fixture. (This gives you the maximum energy savings and a big visual upgrade. Plus, it doesn’t cost that much more than a new fluorescent fixture. It also has the longest life…and all this means the harder installation and higher price will be worth it in the long run.)
Replacing T12s with T8s
T8s are the least expensive, easy, and quick replacement for your fluorescent T12. If you want to stay with fluorescents, that is. Otherwise, another less expensive and easier solution is the plug-and-play linear LED tubes that have come down in price. Irregardless, T8s take little effort to install and are affordable. They’re created to compete with highly energy-efficient products because they have lower voltage and are designed to save energy.