Longer Lifetimes
For property owners and companies looking at long term efficiencies, adopting state-of-the-art technology like LED lights can produce greater cost savings. One of the most significant benefits of installing LED lighting when compared to traditional lighting systems is its long lifetime. When describing a commercial LED light lifetime, it’s often referred to by the number of operating hours until it is emitting 70 percent of its initial light output (L70). According to the Department of Energy, quality LEDs as an industry standard (white light used as a baseline) are designed to perform for an average of 50,000 hours or more. Compare that to the 1,000 hours typically gained from incandescent, 8,000 to 10,000 hours for compact fluorescent, and up to 30,000 hours from the most efficient linear fluorescent lights.
Since LEDs last 2-4 times longer than other outdated lighting like fluorescents, it means that maintenance associated with replacements is all but eliminated. It’s also worth noting that LED drivers used with LED lights have improved over time to last longer than conventional fluorescent lighting ballasts, which reduces replacement costs even further.
Lower Energy Costs
An average commercial building uses about 35 percent of its energy use on lighting alone.
The total energy costs saved will vary based on several factors, including number of lights, hours of usage, desired lighting levels, and local rates. An average commercial building uses about 35 percent of its monthly energy use on lighting alone. With that being substantial portion of energy use, what would reducing that cost substantially do for your bottom line? By having a professional assessment completed by a lighting expert you’ll be able to see a ROI customized specifically for your property.
Environmentally Friendly
With organizations implementing green initiatives to make a positive impact on the environment, LED lighting is a green technology that can also help companies save money in the process. Although environmental issues aren’t associated with maximizing business profits, LED lighting helps contribute to lowering a carbon footprint while contributing to the bottom line. Unlike fluorescent lamps that produce a great deal of wasted heat, LEDs focus energy into visible light with little to no heat. This means less time for air conditioning to run and less energy consumption related to HVAC costs.
According to an US DOE assessment of the environmental impact of lighting technology, key findings indicated that LEDs had a significantly lower environmental impact than other lighting technologies.
Conventional fluorescent lamps must be handled with care and disposed of appropriately in order to avoid toxic materials, like mercury, from contaminating landfills or other public areas. A fact sheet on CFLs from the US Environmental Protection Agency notes that, “Exposure to mercury, a toxic metal, can affect our brain, spinal cord, kidneys and liver, causing symptoms such as trembling hands, memory loss, and difficulty moving.” By utilizing commercial or industrial LED lights, recycling programs can be eliminated and effectively reduce overhead costs associated with them. Consequently, less pollution is generated (like from a coal or gas-powered plant) when using LED lights as an alternative to fluorescent fixtures.
Adjusting Color Temperature (CCT)
The way people work now has evolved and so has LED lighting technology. Offering the capability for occupants to adjust the color temperature of their lighting can help support how they work, improve productivity, and promote the ideal interior design theme.
One of the advantages of adjustable color temperature is the affect it has on health. According to the International WELL Building Institute, Circadian Lighting Design is intended to provide users with appropriate exposure to lighting for maintaining circadian health and aligning the circadian rhythm with the day-night cycle. In an excerpt from the WELL Building Standard, the IWBI dives further into how light further affects the human body:
"Light is one of the main drivers of the circadian system, which starts in the brain and regulates physiological rhythms throughout the body’s tissues and organs, affecting hormone levels and the sleep-wake cycle. Circadian rhythms are kept in sync by various cues, including light which the body responds to in a way facilitated by intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs): the eyes’ non-image- forming photoreceptors. Through ipRGCs, lights of high frequency and intensity promote alertness, while the lack of this stimulus signals the body to reduce energy expenditure and prepare for rest."
No Upfront Investment Needed
Why spend money on lighting when you can use it for something with better leverage? For companies looking to increase efficiencies, LED lighting can reduce your overall energy consumption and eliminate maintenance. Lighting as a Service is an all-inclusive subscription that allows business owners the ability to install energy-efficient LED lighting with no upfront capital. Monthly payments divide the cost of the new LED lighting, the initial installation, and the ongoing maintenance.
Lighting as a Service helps to create a reduction in energy usage and simultaneously cuts down lighting maintenance by installing new LED lighting at no up-front capital to end users. Because the Lighting as a Service is defined as a service agreement, it’s defined as an operating expense and not a capital expense on the books. Cash-flow is positive day one compared to other traditional procurement methods and the energy savings help pay for the program.
