Technology Toolbox: Rebates and incentives make efficient lighting a bright idea

New lighting technologies are making cost savings quicker and easier to achieve. LED lights today offer improving levels of efficiency, greater durability, and extended service life, allowing for lower energy and labor costs. Rebates offset the initial investment, and design improvements improve the return on investment.

Fixtures included on the DesignLights Consortium (DLC) Qualified Products List are eligible for rebates and other incentives. The DLC is a collaboration of utility companies and regional energy-efficiency organizations that are committed to raising awareness of the benefits of efficient lighting. One example is the Metalux HB LED high-bay series from Cooper Lighting, which is designed to last 50,000 hrs at 70% lumen maintenance. It reportedly provides savings up to 43% when compared to traditional HID luminaires.

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"HB LED delivers the latest LED technology with 90+ lm/W and 80+ CRI, exceeding DLC requirements,” says José Laso, Metalux HB LED engineer for Cooper Lighting (www.cooperindustries.com). “It is a high-bay luminaire designed for commercial and industrial spaces with a slim profile of 2-1/2 in. and various mounting options, battery-pack alternatives, and control capabilities.”

The Albeo Technologies HX-Series LED high-bay light fixture is listed on DLC and certified to UL standards. The HX-Series offers more lights per module and lighting control options than its predecessor, the H-Series. It is available in one to six light bar modules and standard HO and VHO lumen packages. The Diffuse Aisle Optic Lens accessory reduces LED glare in certain applications.

“The increased value of the HX Series enables this LED high-bay fixture to be used in more lighting applications and design configurations,” says Jeff Bisberg, CEO of GE-Albeo (www.albeotech.com).

High-bay warehouses can save energy with specially designed T5HO fluorescent lighting systems. AccuStart5HB ballasts from Universal Lighting Technologies reduce power use by minimizing generated heat and using thermal transfer technology to remove heat. Occupancy sensors extend the savings.

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"When it comes to warehouse space, the EPA estimates savings as high as 80% with the use of occupancy sensors and high-efficiency T5HO fixtures when compared to standard 400 W metal halide fixtures," says Stephanie Boyle, director of product management for Universal Lighting Technologies (www.unvlt.com). “That creates a huge opportunity to slash monthly utility bills and maintenance costs with a cost-effective lighting solution.”

Severe environments require hardy lighting fixtures. Rig-A-Lite’s XP LED series luminaires are constructed with corrosion-resistant aluminum, and the LEDs are sealed in explosion-proof, impact- and heat-resistant glass tubes. They provide an efficacy of up to 116 lm/W, based on 4,000 K correlated color temperature (CCT).

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Sheila Kennedy is a professional freelance writer specializing in industrial and technical topics. She established Additive Communications in 2003 to serve software, technology, and service providers in industries such as manufacturing and utilities, and became a contributing editor and Technology Toolbox columnist for Plant Services in 2004. Prior to Additive Communications, she had 11 years of experience implementing industrial information systems. Kennedy earned her B.S. at Purdue University and her MBA at the University of Phoenix. She can be reached at [email protected].

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“The XP LED Series is ideal in areas requiring illumination plus protection from explosive gases, corrosive elements, and other severe and hazardous location challenges. The two-tube XP LED fixture provides significant energy savings by delivering 78% more lm/W along with three times the system life of a T5HO fluorescent lamp,” says Paul Markee, general manager of AZZ | R-A-L Rig-A-Lite (www.rigalite.com).

The HBL Series LED high-bay from Hubbell Industrial Lighting is a customizable interior lighting solution suitable for heavy industrial plants and warehouses, with a compact size and no-tool mounting system that lowers labor costs. It delivers up to 100 lm/W at 68 color rendering index (CRI), and is designed to last 100,000 hrs at L70 lumen maintenance. Its cast aluminum housing and radial-fin design optimize thermal efficiency, heat dissipation, and operation.

“One thing that industrial customers have to be aware of is that they don’t need as much LED light as with existing lighting technologies,” says Joe Engle, product manager at Hubbell Industrial Lighting (www.hubbellindustrial.com). “Lower measured levels of LED light have been shown to have a higher perceived brightness. This might allow an industrial customer additional energy savings.”

Dialight recently developed a solid-state power supply for LED lighting fixtures with an expected life of 20 years. It will debut on Dialight’s LED high-bay products for industrial and hazardous locations, with additional product families to follow. The 20-year power supply’s efficiency is 7% higher than previous designs, which will initially improve fixture efficiency to over 110 lm/W.

“Compared to conventional HID lighting fixtures with bulbs that last two years between changes and which often fail unexpectedly due to extreme temperatures and shock or vibration, LED lighting offers a tremendous total cost of ownership savings potential,” says Rich Fetterly, product specialist for Dialight (www.dialight.com). “With significant maintenance costs to replace these lamps in hazardous environments, the switch to LED lighting is a no-brainer.”