As a commercial or industrial business leader, it's only natural for you to be in control. This extends beyond your employees. Take charge of your spending and energy efficiency by instituting commercial lighting control systems in your building.

With lighting controls, you have options—and they're simpler than you think.

Most buildings are using more energy from lighting than necessary, which means they're overspending on electricity. In general, people set lights higher than needed for a given space. Meanwhile, unoccupied spaces lack technology that can shut off lights as needed.

Lighting controls help you manage when, where, and how much you're using lights. 

This helps you avoid being wasteful while retaining the necessary lighting you need for an efficient workflow or desirable consumer-facing space.

Some types of advanced lighting controls can save as much as 75% of energy compared to non-controlled lighting.

By installing energy saving lights with features like motion and occupancy sensors, photosensors, and daylight harvesting technology wherever you can, you'll be able to considerably lower energy demand on the homefront. Ultimately, you can take back control of your building, energy bill, and sustainability metrics.

Keep in mind that different types of lighting controls implement energy efficiency in unique ways.

To maximize the benefits of lighting controls, you'll want to know the key types of controls that you can implement.

Aside from outdated basic lighting controls, there are two broad categories of lighting controls you can install:

1. Advanced lighting controls: ALC systems are wireless control systems that serve functions like dimming, occupancy sensing, daylight harvesting, scheduling, and demand response. They're good at optimizing a space for use and getting rid of unnecessary energy. They offer some of the biggest opportunities for effective energy reduction.
   
2. Networked lighting controls: NLC systems are a step above ALC systems because they use wirelessly networked integrated sensors. This enables the lighting fixtures that make up the building to communicate not only with the control system, but with one another. The systems use data to their advantage, helping you improve your energy usage over time.
   

Historically, the initial cost of advanced lighting control systems controls has been higher, leading business owners to veer away from this option. But they have decreased over the years (by as much as 20% cheaper from 2019–2020), which makes them a viable option for companies of different sizes. This is useful whether you're upgrading your lighting systems or setting up controls for new construction.

Meanwhile, networked controls are getting increasingly intelligent. Smart lighting is able to profile energy consumption for a variety of frameworks, and its list of applications is only growing. While the initial cost may be higher, they manage load to minimize cost and increase revenue over time. If you're renting out a warehouse facility, NLCs also reduce the cost of changeover to new building lessees.

Here are a few examples of networked lighting controls:

• Acuity Controls nLight AIR offers autonomous bridging technology. This means it optimizes your existing lighting control devices by connecting them to a hub, or system controller.
  
• SimplySnap by Synapse supports retrofit and new construction installations for a variety of lighting applications.
  
• Cree SmartCast Technology delivers lighting control solutions with a brand-specific one-button setup and motion sensing technology.
  

Frankly, the best way to keep your lighting controls solutions simple is to choose a holistic system that can grow with you. In the case of networked lighting solutions, you're optimizing your facility right now and for the future of energy usage by gathering data on the fly.

Because networked lighting is smart and centralized (and conducts two-way communication), you're setting yourself up for success. And while the systems may feel complex in nature, that's because they are—but they're doing the hard work so you don't have to. 

An NLC system is at the core of the 175,000-square-foot Toronto General Hospital's upgrade from basic, a process that cut the building's energy consumption by about 74%. Carnegie Mellon University also used a basic-to-networked upgrade to save about 70% of energy costs without sacrificing performance.

It goes to show how monumental a networked lighting control upgrade can be when done right. It doesn't have to make facility managers pull their hair out during the process, either.

LEED certification provides a framework for energy efficiency. To be LEED-compliant, commercial and industrial facilities must take lighting controls into account. 

Lighting controls requirements for LEED certification include:

• Daylight responsive controls for areas within 15 feet of windows and skylights that are lit during the daytime. Identify your daylit spaces and install automatic switches or dimming features that respond to existing natural light levels.
• Daylight responsive controls for at least 50% of the building's lighting load.
  
• Occupancy sensors for at least 75% of the building's connected lighting load.
  

Utility companies have ways of trimming peak demand to help maintain grid integrity and keep their costs down. One of those ways is through demand response programs.

There are two types of demand response programs: Economic and emergency.

Lighting is a key factor in energy usage, accounting for an average of 20% of electricity used on site. This makes it a great target for demand response. 

Installing lighting controls contributes to passive lighting demand response. Occupancy sensors, daylight harvesting, and other types of lighting controls can minimize usage during times of peak demand. For businesses involved in revenue-generating demand response programs, reducing non-essential lighting is an easy way to earn money back on your energy and minimize the overall cost of lighting.

If you have never participated in a demand response program in your state before, it's a good idea to line it up with a lighting control installation. In Pennsylvania, commercial and industrial organizations make up a huge chunk of demand response participants, helping generate revenue for their respective businesses and minimize grid pressure during peak times.

Even though they're invisible to the average person who isn't involved in the process, choosing to install lighting controls is one of the most important decisions you'll make as a commercial or industrial facility owner.

The right choice for your business is one that works with the nuances of your building or complex. It's one that caters to your business operations and makes life simple for you, not only now but years down the line. 

Our advice? Work with a local energy consultant to determine the specific lighting control system that checks off all your boxes. There are plenty of options, especially when it comes to innovative networked lighting controls.

If you're running a facility in or around Pennsylvania, reach out to A1 Energy for a lighting control consultation. We have the scoop on energy-saving lighting controls that can:

• Shave your energy usage
• Make you LEED-compliant
  
• Help you generate revenue from regional demand response programs
  
• Gather data for an increasingly optimized lighting experience across your facility
  

An LED tube functions within a lighting fixture (sometimes referred to as a luminaire).

The lighting fixture houses the lamp. In this case, that lamp is the LED tube.

Not all tubes are LED. Oftentimes, companies will have fluorescent lighting fixtures in place that house fluorescent tubes. However, these businesses will often switch to LED tubes to avoid having to replace their entire network of lighting fixtures to achieve energy efficiency.

Some light fixtures have more than one lamp, which means they require multiple tubes within the housing.

There are various kinds of LED tubes, but modern businesses tend to prioritize the most commonly used types (we'll dive into that more below). There are numerous benefits to using LED tubes, even when you maintain your existing fixtures.

LED tubes do function in fluorescent fixtures, which is exactly why they're such a do-it-all option.

The first step in upgrading from fluorescent tubes is to remove the old lamps and their ballasts (when applicable). A ballast helps regulate a fluorescent light's voltage; without a ballast, a fluorescent tube has a rapid and uncontrollable current. LED tubes don't necessarily require a ballast, but many do function with one. This depends which kind of LED tube you opt for during your retrofit.

The professional you hire to install the LED tubes will likely need to do some rewiring to help the new lamps function in their fluorescent housing. The logistics of this depend on which type of LED tube you decide to install.

One reason why working with a professional is so helpful is because not all LED tubes are certified for safety and efficiency (e.g. DLC qualified and UL certified lighting). Using the wrong tubes on a large scale could be detrimental to your building's lighting network and overall safety.

LED tubes can be ballast-compatible or direct wire.

A ballast-compatible tube functions with the fluorescent fixture's existing ballasts. Magnetic ballasts are an older technology that you won't find very often anymore. Instead, you'll commonly encounter electronic ballasts, which run most fluorescent lighting systems. There are different types of tubes that operate this way.

Meanwhile, direct wire LED tubes bypass the ballast technology (which is why you may see them described as ballast bypass LED tubes). If you're using direct wire LED tubes, you'll remove the ballasts before installing the lamp. 

Even more than ballast-compatible tubes, a qualified lighting technician and electrician are crucial parts of the direct wire LED tube installation process.

Let's cover the three main types of LED tubes used in warehouse LED lighting:

• Type A: This is considered the easiest type of LED tube to install. It can operate right into a fluorescent ballast that's already in place. Be sure your existing fixture and ballasts are compatible so they won't hike up maintenance costs during the tube's lifetime.
  
• Type B: Unlike Type A, the Type B tubes need something called an integrated driver. This allows the existing fixture's voltage supplier to power the tube. You modify the fixture's electrical system by removing the ballast.
  
• Type C: For this tube, the power comes from a remote electronic LED driver. You need to remove your existing ballasts. Electrical modification is also required, but Type C improves performance. One remote driver can power multiple tubes in a fixture.  
  

At A1 Energy, we install direct wire LED tubes more frequently than ballast-compatible solutions.

When compared to fluorescent lighting, direct wire LED tubes have a whole slew of pros. For one, they last about 50,000 hours— which is significantly greater than the average fluorescent tube. Their brightness is about the same, but LED tubes can also be dimmed in certain scenarios.

When comparing direct wire LED tubes against ballast-compatible options, the key pro and con differs… 

Direct wire tubes are typically cheaper, which can benefit the average industrial or commercial business. 

However, direct wire tubes require an additional layer of caution during installation due to the fact that the tube is interacting directly with the line voltage.

Any switch from fluorescent to LED lighting is going to put a noticeable dent in your energy usage. Direct wire (or ballast-bypass) LED tubes are the most efficient type of LED tubes because no energy is lost in the ballast. That's more money in your wallet over the long term. 

If you're thinking about the environment, LEDs contain no mercury and require less energy to run. In a world where non-renewable energy currently has the stronghold, this is crucial.

Trying to decide on the right warehouse LED lighting with energy efficiency in mind? 

An LED lighting retrofit can be a highly involved process, from determining the right type of tube to actually instituting the installation safely and effectively. Plus, every building is unique, and every business owner has their own vision for what their LED lighting should be. That's why a lighting professional should be your first point of contact for an LED tube installation.

For industrial and commercial businesses in and around Pennsylvania, A1 Energy has lighting technicians on staff to help with any of your commercial lighting endeavors—including LED tubes.

Today, exterior lighting of any kind must be:

• Efficient and sustainable
• Inviting and comfortable
• Safe and secure
  
  

At least 80% of the world's population experiences light pollution, or the brightening of the night-sky from man-made lights. In coastal cities, that brightness often causes light to hit the seafloor. Light pollution can disrupt communities and ecosystems alike.

Lighting that is dark-sky friendly drastically reduces the fixtures' contribution to light pollution. So what does it mean to have LED area lights that are dark-sky friendly?

According to International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), lighting should:

• Only be on when needed
• Only light the necessary area
• Keep brightness at the minimum for visibility
• Keep blue lights off whenever possible
• Be shielded by sides and pointing downwards
  
  

You could have old and inefficient lights in your exterior commercial lighting setup, but what's the point? LED area lights are a sustainable, durable solution for businesses, especially those who require a robust exterior lighting system.

Modern LED lighting benefits businesses in a few ways. Most notably, they're highly durable, effective for directional lighting, and much more efficient than the alternatives.

Comparatively, non-LED lights like metal halide or high-pressure sodium lamps have a lower up-front cost than their LED counterparts. But down the line, LED lights actually save you money because of their efficiency. It's an investment that will come full circle in the long-term, which can be hugely beneficial for established and budding companies alike.

Plus, non-LED lighting tends to emit more heat. High-pressure sodium lamps in particular lose about 15% of their heat to emissions, which has to do with their omnidirectional lighting. In addition to taking up more energy, this can be dangerous for a warming climate. The global temperature has increased 2.1 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880, with 19 of the warmest years occurring since 2000. It can also be problematic for states prone to wildfires, like Texas, California, and Colorado.

In short, LED area lights just make sense, especially for commercial and industrial businesses.

Color temperature is a major consideration in exterior commercial lighting. You can find out precisely how cool or warm a light is by its degrees Kelvin (K). This measurement is a lot more accurate than simply referring to the words "cool" or "warm" on a package.

For any exterior lighting that is simply for display, you can go with 3,000K. This is considered a warm white light. However, any lighting required for security and functional visibility may require a higher rating. You just don't want the lighting too bright or it becomes difficult for people to see. 

Lights between 5,000–6,000K will deliver the highest contrast for the eyes. This is good for in-person visibility as well as security camera visibility. 

Check with a lighting consultant for an expert opinion on exterior commercial lighting color temperatures. 

In addition to setting up lights that are 5,000– 6,000K for optimum visual contrast, there are a few other considerations to keep in mind for your exterior lighting:

• Consider motion sensors.  These can help with efficiency and dark-sky friendliness while also keeping things secure on your property.
• Consider investing in a holistic audio visual (AV) integrator system.  Your lighting could work in tandem with an IoT system and other components to contribute to a well-rounded and innovative commercial ground.
  
• Work with an LED lighting consultant to figure out the best mix of lighting fixtures for your property.  There are floodlights, canopy lights, post-tops, wall packs, parking lot lights, and more.  Your business layout and functionality is unique, so you shouldn't rely on a template for this one. 

1. Take stock of your property.  How many acres? What kind of lights do you have now? How many?
2. Define your goals. More Security? More accessibility for disabled individuals?
3. Contact a consultant to get a bespoke lighting plan designed specifically for your site and goals.
4. Agree on types of LEDs you'll use and what color temperature.
5. Invest in a solution that will reap rewards for the long term, and come up with a financing solution or payment plan if need be. 
   

The Manheim Auto Auction in Manheim, Pennsylvania (home base for A1 Energy) is the largest auto auction in the world.

The auto auction sits on a 500-acre plot of land and has 42,000 vehicle spots. A1 Energy was able to install more than 6,100 lightbulbs and fixtures, working around sale days for the auction's convenience.

"It's not always daylight so we have to make sure that every square foot of this lot has enough coverage to make it safe." - Kevin Gantz, Assistant GM at Manheim Auto Auction

Because of the massive site, A1 Energy had the opportunity to help the auto auction achieve great energy savings. By retrofitting the property with various types of commercial-industrial applications, the auction was able to realize a large kWh savings. This translated into them receiving a rebate of more than $300,000 from PPL, their local electric utility.

This shows how important an exterior commercial lighting system can be in helping you achieve your business goals—whatever they may be.

For more information on exterior commercial lighting and LED lighting retrofits, contact A1 Energy today. 

LED lighting may be energy-efficient, but that's not the only tactical benefit. These systems are also more resilient, particularly when compared to their older and inefficient counterparts. Fixtures are shock resistant and built more firmly than the alternatives, which makes them last longer. 

LEDs also dim over time rather than burning out. This, too, increases their lifespan. In some instances, an LED light may see upwards of 50,000 additional lifetime hours. Not only does this mean you won't have to worry about replacement until well down the line, but it also means you're keeping service and labor costs down in the meantime.

Sustainability may not be your primary goal when switching to an energy-efficient lighting solution. But regardless of your prerogative, your facility will inherently become more efficient. Using LED lighting financing can be a streamlined route toward reducing your impact.

Why's this matter so much? Policymakers are becoming increasingly vigilant about corporate environmental impact. You may only have a certain level of emissions you can put out before you've reached the acceptable limit. 

Pennsylvania is well behind California, a state with strict greenhouse gas emission caps. However, that doesn't mean things aren't changing. Companies will be required to comply with these limitations, and LED lighting is a solution to help you tackle both problems at once.

According to Jensen Handwork of the National Energy Improvement Fund (NEIF), the benefits of financing your LED lighting truly start immediately. 

Handwork says, "The money you save each month on your utility bills from a lighting upgrade often exceeds your monthly finance payment—this means savings starting on Day 1. National Energy Improvement Fund is excited to partner with A1 Energy to deliver financing solutions that are affordable and accessible for all its customers."

For Pennsylvania industrial and commercial facilities, LED lighting financing may be the ideal solution—whatever benefits you may be after. At A1 Energy, we don’t believe you should have to incur upfront expenses if you don't want to. If you want to make your building more energy efficient, contact us today to learn more about a lighting retrofit—and the budget-friendly LED financing options at your beck and call.

Major warehouses and distribution centers are leveraging the advantages of an energy optimization plan. By employing a tailored strategic energy plan, a warehouse operator can navigate toward successful cost reductions, increased productivity, improved safety, easier warehouse navigation, increased energy resilience, and a lower carbon footprint. The path toward long-term energy gains can be achieved with a three-pronged approach that incorporates energy efficiency measures like LED retrofits and lighting controls, strategic energy procurement, and develops pathways for on-site solar energy generation. These three efforts can deliver dramatic cost cuts for warehouses and offer some competitive advantages for the future. 

In addition to cost reduction, addressing energy as a part of a warehouse business’s strategic plan can help leadership be ahead of carbon regulations and cap and trade programs like the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Energy optimization plans that are implemented for warehouses now will deliver more security into the navigable future, especially for warehouses located in RGGI states like Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and New Jersey. 

In this article, we will lay out the formula for a successful energy optimization path, starting with one of the heaviest energy loads on a warehouse, lighting.

As of a 2018 survey by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, it’s estimated that 3 billion square feet of warehouse facilities in the U.S. still employ old lighting technology. Historically, warehouse lighting arrays consisted of old metal halides (MH) and high-pressure sodium lamps (HPS). These older lamps are problematic because they are slow to fully light, lighting becomes quickly dulled, they have extremely short lifespans, waste energy, and they waste a lot of heat, which causes HVAC systems to run harder. For every 100 watts used to light a space, an additional 30-35 watts of cooling is required, according to ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers.

Since lighting represents 60% of warehouse electricity usage, it poses one of the highest energy costs, based on the national average for utility costs. A complete warehouse lighting retrofit is the natural first step in an overall energy optimization plan to achieve a laundry list of initial benefits in a short payback period.

Some of the highlighted benefits of a warehouse switching to LED lighting include:

    ●  Longer lifespan

    ●  Lower energy costs

    ●  Lower maintenance time

    ●  Lower maintenance costs

    ●  Eliminate the ongoing cost of ballast replacements (~$100/ 2 ballasts)

    ●  Lower HVAC demand

    ●  Increase productivity

    ●  Improved sleek, modern look

    ●  Eliminates breakage hazards from mercury lamps

    ●  Decrease downtime

    ●  Leverage financial rebates & incentives

 Check out this zero upfront capital LED retrofit at Spooky Nook Sports:

Now that we’ve effectively lowered energy costs with an LED retrofit let’s see how we can optimize our energy usage even further with some warehouse lighting control strategies.

Employing the right set of energy control strategies can help to achieve next-level energy reduction goals. Before implementing a controls strategy, you will want a full understanding of the warehouse layout to designate for areas of predictable activity. For example, many warehouses use zoning tactics to place the higher demand areas in the warehouse closer to the proximity. Zones offer more control for less frequently used areas so that lighting can be tailored to each of these regions. It’s essential to have a roster of use areas and distinguish important areas like workspace zones versus high traffic and low traffic storage aisles.

Lighting controls work to help us answer some simple yet highly important questions for reducing energy usage like:

    ●  What kind of lighting is needed?

    ●  Where is lighting needed?

    ●  When is it needed?

These are some of the key methods used for effective warehouse lighting controls.

Dimming & Daylight Sensors

In locations with significant natural lighting, dimming is an effective strategy to meet the needs of darker hours of operation. When sensors are programmed to divest light during the day, coupled with occupancy sensors, there is great room for energy savings with dimming.

Occupancy Sensing

Warehouses can gain big from commonly used occupancy sensing. The system functions by detecting movement using a passive infrared or ultrasonic sensor. For warehouses, this method helps save energy in infrequently used areas. It’s also very convenient for workers who need immediate illumination where tasks must be completed, but also the support of a system that can shut off or dim lighting when the space is no longer occupied.

Time Scheduling

One of the most common features of a lighting control system is time scheduling. This simple method can be used for scheduling specific on and off times for hours of operation or can be programmed for more complex scheduling such as various times of the day, days of the week, and seasonally. Keeping a scheduled system helps contribute to predictable usage metrics. While workers are still able to override the system manually when needed, scheduling strategies are very much a useful tool for energy conservation.

Automated Maintenance

There are advanced systems that can offer greater warehouse energy oversight. Automated maintenance systems help managers take charge of lighting maintenance needs by tracking historical data, keeping track of energy usage trends, and lamp maintenance requirements.

Lighting control implementation and LED retrofits will serve some of the most substantial energy optimization goals for warehouses. To take strategies even further for a fully optimized warehouse energy plan that cuts additional costs and increases energy resiliency, let’s explore some final strategic measures for your warehouse energy tool belt.

Taking the lead from major brands, here’s a list of MW generation efforts.

Without significant upfront capital, and in some cases, no upfront capital, warehouses, and distribution centers can begin to leverage an energy strategy that drastically cuts costs. By focusing on LED retrofit and lighting control efforts, warehouse managers can use the efforts gained to create a highly competitive facility that incorporates strategic energy purchasing and on-site solar generation. Contact the A1 Energy team to answer your warehouse energy optimization questions.

Resources:

https://www.a1energy.net/blogs/post/Importance-of-C-and-I-Energy-Management

https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/pennsylvania-takes-a-step-toward-joining-northeast-carbon-cap-and-trade-program

https://www.manufacturing.net/home/article/13217187/reducing-energy-costs-in-warehouses

https://www.sdcexec.com/warehousing/article/12379689/sustainable-warehouses-from-led-to-hvac-to-solar-and-more

https://www.supplychaindive.com/spons/why-low-carbon-warehouses-are-even-more-important-than-you-thought/552052/

https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/aedgs

https://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-power-purchase-agreements

https://www.forkliftcertification.com/creating-an-environmentally-friendly-warehouse/

A1 Recycle didn’t always exist. We do so many lighting-retrofit projects and were contracting through various recycling programs that we decided it would make the experience better for our clients to bring a lamp recycling program in-house. When we created A1 Recycle, clients were seamlessly brought into the re-lamping experience where they could, with one trusted team, handle recycling of old lamps and the implementation of new LED lights. The in-house move also allowed for some additional costs to be offset for local lamp and e-waste recycling.

If your facility hasn’t quite made the shift from a high-maintenance mercury lamp recycling program to energy efficient LEDs that last longer, we’ve got a helpful “Do this, Not that Guide,” to help along your facility’s path.

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More time. Facilities maintenance never seems to have an end. Keeping things clean, safe, and well-lit benefits the many assets that allow for a smooth, well-oiled operation.

Are you still using T-8 Fluorescents in your facility? You wouldn’t be the only one. Have you ever considered upgrading to LEDs?

A typical life-span estimate for T-8 Fluorescents (based on an annual usage of 3,000 hours) is 30,000 hours or 10 years. Not bad. The LED tubes have an estimate of 50,000 hours or 16.7 years. Many LED commercial applications run 24 hours a day, and last as long as 100,000 hours.

LEDs improve on your standard service cycle for fluorescent lamps, not to mention the heart-stopping views of maintenance personnel changing out mercury bulbs or ballasts. LEDs are not hazardous. No broken glass from T-8 fluorescents or universal waste cleanups with LEDs either, and the tubes aren’t glass.

NOT THAT:

Scheduled maintenance for traditional lighting is about every 2-3 years, the lifespan of the lamp. Large scale facilities incorporate this into maintenance time and planning. However, these maintenance hours can be greatly improved and made more efficient. Downtime for lighting maintenance can eat away at a facility's profit. It can also be drastically reduced with LED upgrades that have longer life spans upwards of 20 years.

A mercury lamp breaks:       

“Are you ok?” (Lowers the forklift slowly) 

“Our hazmat crew will be right there. Jeez, I can’t wait till the boss upgrades to LED.”    

The most common reasons commercial and industrial facilities upgrade to LED Lighting:

• LED lights are durable. They don’t easily break like fluorescent or incandescent bulbs.

• LED lights last longer (around 20 years) than traditional lighting (2-3 years).

• Longer lasting bulbs means less time changing bulbs.

• No mercury or glass with LED, resulting in savings on special hazmat handling.    

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Choosing LED lamps allows for lower energy bills. Pay upfront for the additional cost, or use a utility rebate to get your fluorescent lamps replaced. The savings in costs come from a variety of areas including:

• Lower energy costs.

• Lower maintenance costs.

• Removed recycling program requirements and subsequent fees (as with mercury lamps).

• Lower liability from removing toxic mercury lamps.

• Less downtime.

• More rebates for commercial & industrial LEDs.

NOT THAT:

If your facility still operates with mercury lamps, having a recycling program that meets your needs is important. But what if you didn’t need one at all? Remove the additional costs associated with mercury lamps that include:

• Increased purchasing quantity because of their shorter lifespan.

• Increased maintenance on lamp replacement.

• Universal waste disposal fees and certificate of proof.

• Liability if a lamp breaks and staff is exposed to mercury.

CHOOSE THIS:

Choose LEDs, and if your facility isn’t quite ready to update, be sure to recycle your fluorescent lamps properly. LEDs do not contain mercury and therefore are not mandated to be treated as universal waste.

For some time now, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has decided that its environment needs to be protected. Of course, keeping the environment free of poisonous and harmful chemicals comes at a cost to those trying to keep your facility running smoothly, as the challenge of disposing hazardous fluorescent bulbs factors into that.

If you have no servicer to handle your universal waste, we have a recycling division A1 Recycle. Give us a call (717) 898-8021. We’ll be glad to help set up a customizable program to help you stay in compliance with the universal waste laws for your fluorescent lamps, e-waste, batteries, and ballasts. 

We’ll provide you with boxes and/or fiber drums to help you keep those hazardous bulbs and lamps out of the dumpsters and landfills. We’ll help keep the precious space in your facility clear. 

NOT THAT:

Mercury Lamps are universal waste. They are dangerous to your employees and the environment. Please don't rely on “out of sight, out of mind” thinking when it comes to handling mercury lamps. All humans are exposed to some level of mercury, however. The level and method of exposure will have varying degrees of health effects. Mercury exposure symptoms and health effects include:

• Tremors

• Insomnia

• Memory loss

• Neuromuscular effects

• Headaches

• Cognitive and motor dysfunction

• Kidney failure

• Loss of peripheral vision

• "Pins and needles" feelings

• Lack of coordination

• Impairment of speech, hearing, walking

• Muscle weakness

• Damage to the central and peripheral nervous systems

• Damaging effects on nervous, digestive, and immune systems

• Corrosive to the skin, eyes and gastrointestinal tract

• Very high exposure levels can cause death

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Get rebates. Wherever possible, always take the money to upgrade your facility. The State of Pennsylvania is ready, willing, and able to help your company transition to a more efficient, clean, and profitable future. Take the first step for general information by calling our A1 Energy Team at 717-898-8021.

If you’re looking to convert your facilities, here are a few helpful links here to review:

Database for Incentives & Programs

U.S. Green Building Council

179D Commercial Building Energy Efficiency Tax Deduction

The A1 Energy Team would be glad to help you through these steps for getting the most from your rebate. We have a long history of getting various facility types more substantial rebates than they thought possible. We’re able to do this through our long-standing relationships in the industry that are built on trust, thorough reporting, and experience in securing rebates. 

NOT THAT:

Saying no to rebates. Saying no to rebates that are available for LED upgrades is forgoing the long-term advantage that goes beyond quarterly profits. Large scale facilities that fail to leverage LED rebates today are paying unnecessarily high energy costs every year. 

Whether it’s a time constraint, or your facility directors need help mapping out your unique ROI and payback period, talk to someone with the expertise to solve your facility’s barriers to a lighting retrofit.

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Choose low heat LEDs to eliminate heat waste. Low heat LEDs are like icing on the cake when it comes to accessing the total impact of a lighting retrofit project. What can that mean? When the hot summer months hit, LED lights reduce the need to blast HVAC units and thus save on energy costs during hotter months.

NOT THAT:

Blast your HVAC to compensate for inefficient lamps that produce too much heat during the summer months. Warehouses and manufacturing facilities can suffer from high heats in the summer months, keeping old inefficient lamps in place can exacerbate this reality and drive up energy costs.

CHOOSE THIS:

Make your workplace more productive for staff with LED Lighting. What can LED lighting do for you and your workforce? According to many studies, LEDs have been proven to increase worker productivity. Think about it. Better lighting means a quick glimpse, and you move on, not to mention less frustration, and therefore a better mood. Here are some of the greatest productivity benefits LEDs have to offer any workplace:

• Reduced fatigue

• Increased vigor & activity

• Faster reaction times

• Lower rates of depression

• 20% improvement in product defect rate

• 25% decreased absenteeism

• 33% Mood improvement

• 8.3% improvement in visual cognitive tasks

• Improved product quality worth $25,000/year

If your job site suffers from any of the productivity issues from above, now is a great time to take charge and allow a simple switch like lighting, lighten the mood. 

If you have time to whine then you have time to find solution.”– Dee Dee Artner

NOT THAT:

Maintain low levels of productivity with old fluorescent lamp lighting. Old fluorescent lamps have been the standard for so many years. Anyone that has worked in a dimly lit warehouse can tell you how frustrating it is, not to mention the inefficiencies it creates. You get used to things; you get used to the mood lighting creates, you get used to maneuvering around clogged aisles, you get used to a lower productivity level. There’s one sure way to change that according to studies, and that’s switching out those old lamps for LEDs.

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Free up your facility storage space by switching to LEDs. One of the pleasant surprises people find is that they no longer have to store as many lamps. Fewer lamps mean more space to use in other ways besides lighting storage. While fluorescent bulbs have a reasonably long life span, LEDs blow them away with 100,000 hours of life, running 24 hours a day. Use this to your facility’s advantage and free up some space and put it to better use.

NOT THAT:

Keep storage space piled up with mercury lamps. Space challenges can create organizational inventory challenges. Find space for those back-up ballasts, but don’t forget to make a note of where you put them. It can be tedious keeping track of which boxes need to be shipped off for recycling. One smooth shift for saving space is to remove the hazardous waste component of mercury lamps, which require you to recycle and handle appropriately. LEDs are a great segway to a smoother running facility.

CHOOSE THIS:

Emit less carbon. Pennsylvania is committed to reducing carbon emissions. Along with the Federal Government, the commonwealth encourages the implementation of LEDs to help reduce energy demand, greenhouse gases, and clean up our environment. A recent study showed that LEDs have reduced carbon emissions by 570 million tons. That is the equivalent of closing 162 coal-fired power plants. 

Neither Pennsylvania nor the Federal Government are being altruistic about this. Energy savings of up to 80% compared to traditional lighting helps commercial enterprises actually reduce their operating costs.

NOT THAT:

Emit more carbon. Older lamps don't just eat away budgets for energy; they also grow a facility's carbon footprint which, if not corrected while rebates are available, might be costly down the line in unnecessary carbon offsets. By choosing to be complacent on emissions, decision-makers are also choosing to be complacent on business growth as we move into a time where a facility's energy strategy is part of business growth plans. 

Other LED perks that might not be at the top of the Benefit's List

• LEDs are quiet. Fluorescent lamps with magnetic ballasts tend to buzz and get louder the longer they are in use.

• LED light quality tends to be very high, giving a bright daylight shine to your facility.

• LEDs allow for longer purchasing cycles.

Conclusion

The A1 Energy Team is ready to do more than help you stay in compliance with the disposal of your hazardous fluorescent lighting; we will upgrade your lighting, so you don't have to recycle anymore. Our real purpose is to help reduce energy demand for Industrial and Commercial Buildings. We do this with a three-pronged approach:

1. ENERGY EFFICIENCY - We leverage the greatest efficiency measures and rebates for our clients through LED lighting retrofits, smart lighting control systems, retrocommissioning, and energy benchmarking.  More>

2. ENERGY PROCUREMENT - Use our financial and energy expertise to source, negotiate, and oversee the most strategic energy contracts that are tailored to your facility's needs. More >

3. ENERGY GENERATION - Maximize revenue margins and sustainability efforts with on-site energy generation. We help clients reap the most benefits from producing their own energy with Solar PV and CHP Systems. More >

Resources:

https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/save-electricity-and-fuel/lighting-choices-save-you-money/led-lighting

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mercury-and-health

https://www.ledonecorp.com/using-led-lighting-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint/

Keeping facilities tidy and reducing hazards are among the top of the list for facilities managers. Just another day on the job, right? Our job is to help our local facility managers keep things clean and flowing smoothly. Fluorescent lamps, e-waste, ballasts, and other universal hazardous waste can be a chore to organize, contain, document, and schedule for appropriate recycling.

At A1 Energy, we’re primarily focused on seeing that your facility's energy and lamp recycling programs are completely optimized, running in an efficient, reliable, and sustainable manner. Optimization includes helping your team, when ready, switch to lighting that lasts longer, ultimately requiring less maintenance in the immediate and long-term. If your facility still operates with an influx of fluorescent lights, we're here to guide you through the most common questions asked by facility managers. We're available to assist you in setting up a lamp recycling program that meets your custom needs and includes other items your facility may need help disposing of properly, such as spent ballasts, batteries, and office e-waste.   

A1 Recycle's local commercial pick-up program is designed to meet your facility's specific needs. We specialize in supporting the York, Harrisburg, and Lancaster areas. If your facility is within this territory and you'd like us to drop off boxes and tailor a pick-up program according to your operations, please give us a call at (717) 898-8021.

While all lamps containing mercury are mandated to be recycled, the A1 Recycle program is tailored to assist the following facilities in meeting their particular recycling needs in keeping areas safe and clean, including:

The A1 Recycle Program accepts a wide array of lamps and universal waste. We will deliver boxes for local facilities to store and recycle the following items:

To go a step further, the A1 Energy team assists facilities in lighting retrofit projects to remove the need for lamp recycling by replacing fluorescent lamps with high efficiency, long lasting LEDs. Our team of financial experts helps remove the upfront costs involved with this transition.

Most building owners are familiar with the long and growing list of benefits that come with energy efficiency upgrades. Often, tackling energy projects is more a question of when than if. That was the case for Spooky Nook Sports owner, Sam Beiler, who in 2012 wanted to bring in LEDs to light the Lancaster facility but found that the technology at the time was not yet cost-effective enough to implement. Spooky Nook needed support to bridge the gap for energy efficiency upgrades. 

Fast forward to 2018-2019, and the story looks much different. The landscape for LED retrofit implementation for buildings of all types is a much easier task for energy managers to tackle. More business decision-makers are using available resources like creative financing options, leases, rebates, and grants to help remove the barrier to entry of upfront costs and push energy projects along. Mike Porreca was a member of Spooky Nook Sports and also an Energy Consultant with A1 Energy. He noticed there was a potential to help Sam accomplish his LED retrofit goals by addressing some common questions and with the help of Act 129.

These are some common questions that we help facilities, like Spooky Nook Sports, address when analyzing their ability to lower energy consumption through lighting retrofit projects. 

1. What is the cost savings on the maintenance of old fixtures and ballasts? 

Fixtures and ballasts vary in their longevity, which is why lighting equipment and labor costs can drastically decline when upgrading to LEDs. For fluorescent fixtures, many facilities handle their tube changes in-house and hire electricians to replace the ballasts, which, on average, costs about $100 for every two ballast replacements. With LED upgrades, the ongoing cost cycle of ballast maintenance can be eliminated. 

Lowering maintenance costs throughout a facility is of great benefit. Lighting maintenance costs are often rolled into a facility’s budget for maintenance and operations. For large commercial and industrial facilities, the ability to lower maintenance costs has one of the most significant impacts on decisions made to move forward with an LED lighting retrofit project. When the average life of a lamp is two years vs. twenty years, it's time to consider how often maintenance disruption to those systems is a factor. Costs are divvied up into two types of repairs; replacement of equipment and costs for replacing fixtures and ballasts. 

As a result of the LED retrofit project at Spooky Nook Sports, the estimated cost savings on lighting maintenance was calculated at $40,000 annually.

2. How can a lighting retrofit save on HVAC costs? 

Heat associated with old inefficient fixtures causes the temperature to increase, which results in increased HVAC costs. Older lighting fixtures, like incandescent and halogen lights, are notorious for being more efficient at heat production than light production. As such, the heat output associated with older types of lighting raises the ambient temperature of a facility and must be addressed by increased cooling during the hot summer months. Not to mention, replacing old fixtures to updated LEDs reduces the carbon footprint of a facility, thus lessening the impact on our environment by lowering energy demand. To calculate the heat increase on-demand from lighting fixtures, the ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers) has published a generalized equation. ASHRAE states that for every 100 watts used to light a space, an additional 30-35 watts of cooling is required to offset the heat output. Every kWh not being used to compensate for lighting heat can be attributed to "x” number of cents saved in cooling costs. At Spooky Nook, HVAC savings that resulted from the LED retrofit was estimated to be $16,000 annually.

3. How much downtime is my facility losing with old lighting fixture replacement and maintenance? 

Traditional lamp replacement is scheduled for the life of a lamp… about two to three years. Large scale facilities incorporate this into maintenance time. However, for lighting maintenance it's required to section off areas one at a time to ensure safety, rendering the location down and taking away from the facility's ability to use this space while maintenance occurs. Lighting maintenance downtime can eat away at a facility's profit and can be drastically reduced with LED upgrades that have longer life spans upwards of 20 years and don't require ballast replacements. Downtime is exacerbated by facilities with more than one shift a day, as maintenance cannot be scheduled during off-hours.

The extensive lifespan of LEDs helps building owners avoid the time sacrifices often made, including additional maintenance and downtime, as experienced with older, lower lifespan lamps. 

4. What is Act 129? 

Act 129 is the cornerstone energy efficiency legislation that incentivizes the reduction of energy usage across the seven utility company territories that serve Pennsylvania. Act 129 is responsible for $6.4 billion+ in benefits to electric customers since its implementation in 2008. The goal for large-scale energy reduction projects is to effectively reduce energy demand and avoid utility company infrastructure investments in energy generation, transmission, and distribution. 

A1 Energy addresses every new project with Act 129 rebates and incentives. The programs under the act include funding for energy-efficient lighting and appliances, advanced facility controls, upgrades to existing industrial processes, and new energy-efficient building construction. Spooky Nook qualified for the Direct Discount program and received nearly $240,000 from PPL for the LED retrofit project. 

"One of the first things that we do for every project is incorporate Act 129 rebates. Spooky Nook Sports qualified for the Direct Discount Program, which was an elevated rebate of $0.15/kWh saved. So, it took a $600,000 project to a little under $400,000 project. That money gets paid directly to the contractor so the Nook doesn't have to pay out of pocket and they don't have to wait and get the money back. It's just discounted on top of the project costs. Act 129 rebates were the main reason why this project went from a six-year to three-year payback," said Mike Porreca, Energy Consultant at A1 Energy.

“Act 129 is very helpful to large users who can make improvements but need some support on the capital side to make those improvements.” - Sam Beiler, Owner of Spooky Nook Sports 

5. How can I leverage LED equipment financing to start a project without upfront costs? 

Upfront costs no longer pose a hurdle for taking action on LED retrofit projects. With equipment financing now widely available, building owners and energy managers are leveraging this opportunity to avoid upfront capital expenditures that were once commonly associated with LED retrofit projects. Financing equipment allows for more immediate, positive cash flow on LED projects and also lowers the payback period. Most facilities begin with LED projects because they have the highest guaranteed return of 30-70%. Adding to this high rate of return is the ability to finance equipment upfront and begin to immediately save on energy, decrease your carbon footprint, and improve the overall quality of your lighting experience.

Learn how your facility can leverage the combination of LED equipment financing options and government rebates for implementing the energy upgrade projects on your to-do list. A1 Energy is highly experienced with the requirements of PPL Electric Utilities and is skilled at getting projects approved for rebates and incentives. Contact our team to see how we can get your zero capital LED retrofit project started. 

About A1 Energy 

A1 Energy is a local leader in energy consulting services committed to developing and delivering creative solutions to optimize energy efficiency, reliability, and sustainability for our clients. We combine our in-depth industry knowledge and financial expertise to dramatically lower energy costs and meet sustainability measures for our clients. We support government agencies, industrial, and commercial clients in achieving energy efficiency through reduced demand, strategic energy procurement, and alternative energy sources. Discuss your lighting project with us by scheduling a call. 

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