Commercial Construction & Renovation

SEP-OCT 2012

Commercial Construction & Renovation helps our subscribers design, build and maintain better commercial facilities by delivering content to meet the information needs of today's high-level executives.

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LIGHTING When considering a lighting renova- tion, the best and most efficient solu- tion may appear to be a complete light- ing redesign to replace old lighting systems. were installed in our headquarters, we realized a better quality lighting experience for our employees and visitors," Green says. "The retrofit route provided our employees with a more soothing light that eliminat- ed some of the glare we had with old T12 direct lighting. At the same time, we are also maintaining the integrity of existing features. You can actually reduce input to a par- ticular floor; you can tune it down digitally and decrease wattage out- put to save energy. Now, the facility groups at Medical Mutual can tune all the fixtures to a desired wattage" Retrofits offer a better lighting experience compared to old para- bolic systems. Parobolics send harsh, direct light directly down- ward. Retrofit kits are volumetric, filling space vertically with light as well. This delivers a softer appear- ance with less contract and glare that is also better distributed. Furthermore, dimming controls allow users to adjust lighting to a comfortable level. Lighting retrofits also deliver more lumens per watt, so they last longer than older T12, T8 and T5 fixtures. Currently, in the country's commer- cial sector, there are 1.65 billion lin- ear fluorescent lamps installed and 538 million of these still are T12. Retrofits deliver a weighted average energy savings of 19.4 watts per lamp. As a result, the commercial sector could see a potential 10 mil- lion kilowatts of savings. Five retrofit considerations Retrofit kits are a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to complete lighting redesigns. Following are five things to consider when evaluating a retrofit assembly kit. 1. Ensure payback from your retrofit kit will occur within two to three years. 2. Choose a kit that can be installed with minimal disruption (15-20 minutes). 3. Select lighting that enhances the look and feel of the space. 4. The retrofit kit should fit seamlessly in the framework of the existing system. 5. Retrofit kits should be Underwriters Laboratories (UL)-classified under UL1598 to avoid issues with inspectors or insurance adjusters. For Medical Mutual of Ohio, the lighting retrofits greatly reduced energy costs and supported sustain- ability goals. Previous fixtures used 1.9 million kilowatt hours, while the lighting retrofit fixtures use only 906,000 kilowatt hours annually. The company also was able to reduce its total annual energy usage from 2.5 million kilowatt hours to 1.2 million kilowatt hours because of reduced HVAC costs. This resulted in a decrease of 1.3 million kilowatt hours for total annual energy use. With so many market factors urg- ing building owners and facility managers to consider a more energy efficient lighting solution, retrofit kits present an additional and viable option. End-users experience lower maintenance costs and reduced energy usage, while achieving a bet- ter quality lighting experience for building occupants. CCR 90 Commercial Construction & Renovation September/October 2012

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