What is white color?

White color refers to white light, which is composed primarily of three different colors – blue, red and green. This light is everywhere. From the moment we wake up and look at the rising sun, to when we walk into the office and turn on the fluorescent lighting, to when we drive home under the metal halide streetlights, we are immersed in white light. By no means, however, would a person say that light stays consistent. The variations of white light stem from the different combinations of blue, green and red that a particular light source emits. This is referred to as color temperature, commonly abbreviated as CCT.

Color temperature relates to the color of light being produced by a light source. At restaurants or in homes, we often see incandescent lighting – even candles. This is a yellowish light, similar to a setting sun. Light like this is considered to have a low color temperature, and is considered “warm white light.” Warm lighting gives a yellowish tint to white objects.

Fluorescent lighting has a moderate color temperature for the most part. It’s hard to determine the color temperature of fluorescent lights because there are many different kinds. However, for the most part, fluorescent light gives off a neutral color temperature, maybe slightly green, making it ideal for retail and office settings.

Light emitting diode fixtures, or LEDs, mercury vapor light and daylight fluorescent lights often have a high color temperature, and emit a white to bluish-white light. White objects under a high color temperature light bulb or source, such as the midday sun, will appear bluish.

Measuring CCT with the Kelvin Scale

Understanding what makes up white light, and the terminology lighting professionals use to describe it, can be helpful when deciding what fixtures to select for your home or business.

The “temperature” of a light source’s color temperature is measured in the same way as weather conditions – using degrees. In order to measure the color temperature, the Kelvin scale is used. The logic of the color temperature spectrum operates on the intensity of a light sources temperature. For example, if you light a match and look at the flame, the flame is orange and  yellow. The same would be true for a tungsten filament – glowing orange – for a bulb dimmed down to the lowest power setting. The “warm” light this light source produces becomes “cooler,” looking more bluish, the hotter the light source becomes. It’s the opposite of what you would think.

Using the filament example, as more power flows to the bulb, the filament grows hotter, and the light becomes brighter with less red.  As the color temperature of light increases from low to high temperatures, the color contrast changes in this sequence:  red, orange, yellow, white, bluish white, blue.

Therefore, a “cool” light is actually much warmer in physical temperatures than a “warm” light. You remember the match, right? A match is a relatively low-heat light source emitting “warm” light. Well, if you go to a gas powered stove and ignite one of the burners, we’d see a blue flame. The blue flame emitted by a gas burner is significantly hotter than a match, thus giving off a higher color temperature. That being said, a light source doesn’t need to physically become hot in order to create high color temperature light. An LED lamp is a great example of this. It has a significantly lower physical temperature, while generating high color temperature light. A cool white LED fixture generates light at 7,000K and 7,500K, whereas a metal halide lamp, commonly used as streetlights, has a color temperature of 4,000K.

William Kelvin, a British physicist, heated a block of carbon in the late 1800s and recorded its color based on different temperatures. The black block of carbon first appeared red, then orange, yellow as the temperature intensified. Eventually, at very high temperatures, it glowed bluish white. It is the colors of light – not the temperatures – of that black block of carbon that are the basis for color temperature gradations today.

Kelvin is abbreviated to K, and is measured in degrees, as in 2​,000K or 4​,500K. Color temperature is important, because each fixture provides light at a certain color temperature, and depending on the application and the need for light quality, knowledge of how color temperature behaves and impacts light color will change what lighting fixture you select. This is particularly relevant in establishing mood or enhancing the quality of vision.

In order to bring color temperature into the tangible, here are a few examples. Our match flame has a color temperature of 1​,700K. A 500-Watt incandescent tungsten lamp? 3​,200K. Sunlight has a color temperature of 6​,500K on average at noon in the summer. A blue sky is has a color temperature of 30,000K+. However, the color temperature of sunlight shifts with the position of the sun. At sunrise, it has a color temperature of just 2​,000K. An overcast sky? 6​,000K.

Color rendering index

Because the hue of white color light is measured by color temperature, which itself is a reference to the color of the light, the color rendering index, or CRI, of any given light source is a quantitative measurement of a light source’s ability to reproduce the colors of various objects as they would otherwise appear in natural light. Originally defined by the International Commission on Illumination, the higher the CRI of a light source, the more effective it is in reproducing. Generally speaking, CRI is a poor indicator of a the visual quality of a light source, especially if that source is has a color temperature below 5,000. High-pressure sodium lights, also commonly used as streetlights, has a negative CRI rating, because it turns every object yellow. The highest possible CRI is 100, and the higher, the more effective the light source reproduces the color of an object as it is observed in natural light.

This can get confusing, so if you are looking to maximize your lighting design, whether for your home or business, consider hiring a lighting consultant.

Along with more practical concerns, parking garages have also become an outlet for innovative architectural techniques over the past decade. Cities and businesses that own parking garages have come to understand that those structures are no longer just a place in which to stuff metal and machinery, they are also part of the urban landscape, and as such they need to be treated more like traditional buildings, with the same need to become more aesthetically pleasing, cleaner, safer, cheaper and more energy efficient. Fortunately, innovations in the lighting industry have made that pursuit easier.

Lighting is key to parking lot safety

Parking garages represent one of the industries that can most benefit from the transition to smarter lighting design.

No matter what the financial or energy savings considerations are for a parking facility, safety should always be at the first concern, especially because savings and safety can go hand-in-hand. The safer your facility is, the more people are going to want to use it, and the chances of there being any sort of legal action being brought are greatly reduced, both of which ultimately benefit the bottom line.

And with new lighting products on the market that are specifically designed to improve safety and energy efficiency in parking facilities, like Cree, Inc.’s new VG Series Parking Garage Luminaire, owners and operators can provide better safety and realize cost and energy savings at the same time.

Studies show benefits of LED parking lot lighting

Many parking facilities operate around the clock, are housed in large buildings or cover large expanses of land. Because of those factors, they can also eat energy at an alarming rate. That is not only an environmental hazard, it also ends up costing parking companies millions of dollars a year in extraneous energy usage.

Considering their impact on the energy grid, parking facilities have been the subject of several studies by government, private and academic institutions. As with other commercial electric lighting issues, the U.S. Department of Energy has been a prime mover of research in this area, conducting a number of studies into energy efficiency in parking facilities, especially as it pertains to lighting. And the DOE has also put together a fact sheet that, in concert with lighting specialists, can guide parking companies in the planning and installation of commercial lighting solutions for their facilities.

The Department of Veterans Affairs also got in on the action with its 2011 study comparing LEDs to fluorescent bulbs and high-intensity discharge lighting. Among the study’s findings, it found that LEDs were especially well-suited for parking lots and garages.

Researchers at Portland State University conducted their own study, Reducing Carbon Emissions by Improving Lighting Efficiency in Parking Structures at Portland State University, for three of the campus’ parking structures. They found that LED retrofits in those spaces led to a 7 percent reduction in total emissions caused by electricity consumption, and an annual cost savings of $4,450.

Shining examples of retrofitting parking lot light fixtures

With so much information available about the advantages of using energy efficient lighting to improve the parking industry, it’s not surprising that many governments, private companies and universities have been retrofitting their facilities with lighting upgrades.

A major effort is currently underway at Detroit Metropolitan Airport to convert all 6,050 of the lighting fixtures in its two parking garages with LEDs, while also increasing the overall number of fixtures by 19 percent. Despite the increase in the amount of lights, the Wayne County Airport Authority, which approved the project, still expects to save 66 percent on its annual electric bill due to the increased efficiency afforded by the LEDs.

“This project will produce multiple desirable outcomes,” said WCAA CEO Tom Naughton. “It will improve the lighting in our parking facilities, reduce energy consumption, save on maintenance costs and shrink our carbon footprint.”

Owners of the Helix Garage in Lexington, Ky., are also incorporating LEDs, but in this case it’s about more than energy efficiency and saving money. Aiming to make their building a focal point of the city’s downtown area, they are using their 80 LED lights to project a beautiful color scheme across the neighborhood. The lights can be programmed to be any color or pattern, and came on display this past Fourth of July with a festive red, white and blue projection.

“The lights enhance the architectural detail of the Helix’s circular exit ramp and are a dramatic way to brighten up downtown,” said Gary Means, executive director of the Lexington Parking Authority, which helped finance the project.

A new mall project in Kenwood, Ohio, plans to use LEDs to ease traffic congestion by installing LEDs above each parking space. Customers can will be able to look down a long row of parking spaces and see a bright green LED pointing the way to an open spot.

One of the country’s most esteemed universities is also switching to LEDs in its parking garages around campuses. Washington University in St. Louis is in the midst of redoing all of the garages around campus, and LEDs are playing a major role in their effort to improve safety, reduce energy usage and improve overall campus ambience.

“We are looking to provide an environment that offers enhanced safety and improved functionality,” said Steve Hoffner, associate vice chancellor for operations.

Whether it’s a business, academic or government parking facility, the need to incorporate energy efficient lighting solutions has gone from being a choice to an imperative. With the many tangible safety, financial and ecological benefits smart lighting provides to parking companies, it’s become a matter of how and when, not if, the transition will take place.

LED lighting

Highly-innovative, reliable and affordable LEDs are taking the spot of incandescent bulbs that are currently being phased out. The bulbs also serve as replacements for commercial fluorescent lighting. Technological advances with LEDs over the last 10 years are helping lighting retrofitting and prevent companies and building owners from having to completely replace fixtures in order to be more energy efficient.

Long Beach, Calif., is installing LED streetlights through a pilot program.

Street lighting is proving to be a niche LED market, and is considered to be a gateway application for LEDs. According to CleanTechnia, most cities can save as much as 40 percent on energy costs by switching to LEDs.  The process of changing out new streetlights is simple – similar to replacing a burnt out light bulb. It is estimated that unit shipments of LED streetlights will increase to more than 17 million by 2020.

California city tests LED streetlights

Long Beach, Calif., is taking part in an LED streetlight pilot program by partnering with City Light and Power and Southern California Edison. The pilot program is to determine the energy savings the LEDs can provide as well as to receive input from the city’s residents, according to the Los Angeles Times.

LEDs replaced 24 high-pressure sodium lights in four of the city’s neighborhoods – including Alamitos Beach, Park Estates, Stratford Square and Silverado Park. Officials from the utility department said that LEDs will last longer than the previous lights and use up to 50 percent less energy, the Times reported.

“We’re always looking for ways to be more financially and environmentally efficient, and use technology to improve services to the community,” said Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster.

The energy efficiency consultants at Lumenistics can provide more information on the benefits of LEDs.

The number of light bulbs and other lighting products has expanded exponentially over the years. Earlier generations only had to choose between different types of traditional incandescent bulbs, and those choices rarely had anything to do with better technology or efficiency, but were instead essentially based on price and manufacturer. However, over the years, lighting has become one of the most complex markets in the world.

Fluorescent lighting products came on the market in the 1930s and 40s. In the 70-plus years since, they have evolved from being employed primarily in large commercial buildings to become the most commonly used alternative to incandescent bulbs.

Where we’ve been, where we are and where we’re going in the lighting industry.

High intensity discharge lights (HIDs) first hit the market in the 1990s. Early on, they were almost entirely found in automobile headlights. However, as technology improved, they began seeing wider use in large indoor spaces and commercial outdoor lighting for places like sports stadiums, gymnasiums and parking lots.

The most recent addition to the lighting market are light-emitting diode (LED) products. Due to their significantly increased energy efficiency, LEDs have become the go-to option in a world where energy and resources are becoming scarcer and more expensive. Although they have been around in one form or another since the early 1960s, it is only in the past decade or so that LED technology has developed to the point where it has become both practical and economical to use in a wide variety of applications.

Incandescent bulbs

It’s very likely that your immediate ancestors and, depending on how old you are, you, grew up with your home and the public buildings you passed through being illuminated almost entirely with incandescent light bulbs.

These bulbs also deserve a special place in history – incandescent light sources represented humanity’s biggest lighting advancement since the discovery of fire – due to government regulation and consumer awareness, they are being phased out of use in many places around the world. Despite that, they do continue to offer advantages in some cases, mainly because their upfront costs are very cheap.

Fluorescents

As the lack of efficiency of incandescent bulbs became more of an issue, scientists looked to develop new technologies that didn’t waste as much energy and provided a better overall light source. The first step in that process was the advent of the fluorescent bulb.

Although they signaled a huge leap forward in energy efficiency over incandescent bulbs, in their early days of widespread use – the 1980s and 1990s – fluorescents still suffered from some major drawbacks. Among those, the most notable was the audible buzzing sound that regularly emanated from the bulb.

By the 1990s, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) were developed commercially and quickly gained wide use, as they no longer suffered from the buzzing issue, while still offering excellent energy savings over incandescents. To this day, CFLs are still an important part of the lighting market.

HIDs

Since their introduction in the early 1990s, HIDs have mainly found their niche in large indoor and outdoor spaces. Advantages to HIDs include excellent efficiency, an extremely long lifespan and outstanding lumen output. Although, HIDs do usually take a long time to reach full illumination (it commonly takes about 10 minutes for the ballast to establish the electric arc).

Those factors combine to make HIDs an excellent option for larger spaces due to their ability to provide a bright light to a wide physical area. They are most commonly used in stadiums and parking lot lighting.

LEDs

Over the past 20 years, LEDs have increasingly become the lighting products of choice for governments, contractors and homeowners looking for energy efficient solutions and to reduce electricity cost. Although it was invented in the 1960s, LED technology didn’t advanced to the point where its products became applicable to many parts of the lighting market until the 1980s.

Since that time, the technology has rapidly evolved. Now, businesses and government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), which stated in its 2013 report, Adoption of Light-Emitting Diodes in Common Lighting Applications, that because “LEDs have surpassed many conventional lighting technologies in terms of energy efficiency, lifetime, versatility and color quality, and due to their increasing cost competitiveness are beginning to successfully compete in a variety of lighting applications,” they are increasingly putting them to use in a large number of facilities.

As understanding of the advantages offered by LEDs becomes more widespread, their presence in the market is expected to build considerably over the next 15 years. In its 2011 report, Lighting the way: Perspectives on the global lighting market, McKinsey & Company, a Chicago-based business consulting firm, worked out several projections for the LED market in the U.S. and throughout the world.

One of the McKinsey report’s conclusions stated, “Population growth, resource scarcity, and climate change concerns are driving technological advances in the lighting industry… The significant differences in LED technology vs other lighting technologies will lead to a fundamental disruption of the lighting industry along the entire value chain.”

Due in part to their applications for commercial office lighting and hotel lighting, the report went on to predict that LEDs will amount to close to 60 percent of the overall global lighting market by 2020.

The future of lighting

While incandescent bulbs had their time and place in the history of lighting, they are quickly being replaced by CFLs, HIDs and, most notably, LEDs as the most common light source, both out of environmental concern and long-term financial cost. And while all of those technologies will likely play a role in reducing energy consumption across the globe, it appears LEDs will lead the way.

As the DOE stated in another 2013 report, Life-Cycle Assessment of Energy and Environmental Impacts of LED Lighting Products, “The energy that incandescent, compact fluorescent and LED products consume while in use dominates not only the total energy consumed over their entire lifecycle, but also their total environmental impact. Because of this, continued focus on LED efficacy targets and market acceptance is appropriate.”

With so many lighting options out there on the market, consumers, whether in the industrial, commercial or residential sector, should look to lighting specialists to help them decide what works best for them.

The first installation was estimated to save the city $25,000 on energy costs, and the newest lights will save Colorado Springs an additional $7,500 annually, according to the source. For the first installation, the city received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program. The second installation is being supported through parking funds.

With an annual streetlight budget of approximately $4 million, Colorado Springs owns and maintains more than 25,000 streetlights, so energy-efficient lighting was something they were looking for to help cut costs, New Streetlights reported.

Streetlight upgrades are producing “smart” cities.

He also said that the LEDs will provide residents with better light quality and improved illumination to increase public safety in the city’s downtown. Once the downtown project is complete, the city is planning for summer and fall projects, as it hopes to continue installing LEDs on the north side of the city.

In February, the city of Colorado Springs turned lights off in order to save money on energy costs. It said it turned off at least 8,000 streetlights for about 10 weeks.

“We have more than 24,000 streetlights within the city limits and the energy cost alone to keep all those lights on is about $3.2 million each year,” said City Traffic Engineer Dave Krauth. “By shutting off between 8,000 and 10,000 of the most inefficient lights, we expect to save taxpayers slightly over $1.2 million each year.”

Because the city was able to move forward with another installation of LEDs, streetlights in the city will start to turn back on.

The lighting specialists from Lumenistics can provide city officials with more information on the benefits of energy-efficient streetlights.

The U.S. Department of Energy is investing in research and development projects for LEDs.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced five manufacturing research and development projects it plans to invest $10 million in to support energy-efficient lighting products. According to the release, the projects not only focus on reducing manufacturing costs but on the continued improvement of quality and performance for light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

LED lighting today is at least six times more efficient than traditional lighting and lasts up to 25 times longer.

“This partnership with industry to produce affordable, efficient lighting will save consumers money and create American jobs,” said Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. “It’s another example of how energy efficiency is a win-win proposition for our economy.”

The Energy Department revealed that the installation of LED lights in the United States has increased from 4.5 million in 2010 to 49 million in 2012. Installations include indoor and outdoor lighting applications, including streetlights. Consumers, including building and business owners, who have completed LED upgrades are expected to save approximately $675 million in annual energy costs.

If the U.S. switches entirely to LEDs in the next 20 years, the country has the potential to save $250 billion in energy costs and reduce energy consumption by 50 percent, and LEDs are projected to represent 75 percent of all lighting sales by 2030, according to the report.

The current issue with LEDs lights are their higher initial price, although the cost is dropping. However, the investment by the DOE will help with further cost reductions while making the lights even better and more efficient.

According to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the research and development projects are scheduled to last for two years.

The energy efficiency consultants at Lumenistics can provide more information on the best available options for LEDs and other energy-efficient lighting options.

Where perception begins: The eye

Applying the role that rods play in perceived brightness, lighting can be modified to reduce energy consumption without disrupting vision quality.

The ancient Greeks thought that the eye emitted rays of light that would bounce off objects and return to our eye. While this theory has been long dismissed, it’s an interesting concept to apply to vision. The human eye is a receiver of light, specifically the narrow band of light in the electromagnetic spectrum that we call “visible light.”

When light enters the eye, it is focused by the lens onto the back of the eye where there are millions of specialized cells that transmit the light information into a series of biochemical reactions that result in a chemical signal being sent to the brain. The brain then organizes that data into an image – the picture that is seen. However, the amount of light entering the eye is subjected to the environment and, in order to protect itself from overexposure and potential damage, humans have evolved to control the amount of light in the eye. Just as with a camera’s aperture, the pupil of the eye expands or shrinks depending on the amount and intensity of the light. In an intense-light environment, the pupil will shrink, because less light is required for the cells at the back of the eye, rods and cones, to communicate information with the brain. Likewise, in a low-lit environment, the pupil expands, allowing more light into the eye in order to generate a workable image.

The primary modes of vision: Photopic, scotopic and mesopic

Under well-lit conditions, our eyes shift into a primary mode referred to as photopic. In this mode, the seven million cone cells at the back of the eye – the ones responsible for color information and image sharpness, are primarily used. There are three different kinds of light sensitive cones. Red cones compose 64 percent of all the cones, while green cones make up on 32 percent. Blue cones, while being much more light sensitive than other cones, make up only two percent of cone cells.

In very low-light conditions, such as nighttime, our vision shifts from relying primarily on cones to the more than 120 million rods – cells that are a thousand times more sensitive to light than cones, except they only respond to white light. This system is designed for night​ vision, and is acute in detecting motion, especially in the peripheral area of vision.

Mesopic vision is a special combination of both systems. Both cones and rods are at work here and our perception of brightness shifts during this mode. Mesopic vision occurs during low light scenarios that fall between indoor lighting and moonlight.

The role of luminance and the reason for a lighting specialist

Traditionally, photopic vision – the role cone cells play in seeing – in relation to perceived brightness has been used to determine brightness levels for industry-wide applications, from streetlights to office lighting. Specifically, increasing the intensity of light is thought to increase acuity and sharpness in vision, a trend that directly correlates to energy use.

Scotopic and mesopic standards fail to be part of the assessment, and for the most part, are still side-stepped in mainstream lighting applications despite research suggesting that scotopic eye behavior – the role of rods in vision – should be incorporated into our understanding of lighting and its various designs.

Research sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy has established that not only energy efficiency would be improved, but that the vision of employees would be enhanced if rods were incorporated into the lighting analysis of an office building. Specifically, research conducted by Dr. Sam Berman and Dr. Don Jewett, revealed that, at a typical interior light level, rods primarily control the opening and closing of th​e eye’s pupil, thereby affecting the amount of light entering the eye. Pupil size, therefore, directly affects the perception of brightness in a room.

Applying the knowledge by energy efficiency consultants

Smaller pupil sizes permit better vision, improve depth of field and better acuity. Current lighting practice calls for reducing pupil size in a typical office environment by increasing light levels. This practice increases electricity consumption as well as adds glare. However, the sensation of room brightness requires input from cones and rods. When a light source’s spectral distribution was scotopically enhanced, when compared to a non-scotopically enhanced source, participants always selected the scotopically-enhanced source as the brighter of the two, despite it requiring 30 percent less energy. A traditional light meter cannot account for this disparity in perceived brightness resulting from rod activation.

In fact, the study was replicated at an Illuminating Engineering Society meeting in San Diego in 1992. Out of more than 100 lighting professionals, all chose the scotopically-enhanced light source as brighter except two people. Those two people reported having some degree of color-blindness. But the economic advantages of scotopic lighting functions are not limited to just the workplace.

When luminance conditions are low, scotopic vision employs rods and the color sensitivity peak is blue-green. The mesopic color sensitivity slides between green and blue. This is why, as light leaves the environment near dusk, things take on a blue color. However, vision is not impaired. The higher luminance factors given the wavelength of the light present and its impact on rod participation and perceived brightness would lead many people to think that LED streetlights have a higher efficacy than the yellow light emitted by conventional sodium luminaires. Those yellow streetlights require a significant amount of energy more in order to generate the same brightness levels than the cool white of LEDs, according to Energy Insider Pat Mullin’s paper, “Reported Scotopic Advantage with LEDs.”

Ultimately, it is difficult to grasp the science behind this, giving any forward-thinking business a reason to hire a lighting professional to draft a lighting design plan for you that will increase workplace efficiency as well as improve the bottom​ line.

Energy performance contracts are an agreements between a facility and contractor to provide a low cost energy efficient retrofit.

Energy performance contracts are a means for commercial property owners to make their commercial electric lighting, HVAC and other systems more sustainable.

Under an EPC, the return on investment from the energy savings are projected to match or exceed the costs of the retrofit. An overhaul to a building’s systems with high energy consumption rates yields instant economic savings, which are then free to be spent on the replacements. Facility owners are essentially getting new equipment for free, and they continue to profit from the savings for years.

EPCs are an easy way for a commercial property with a tight budget to get necessary upgrades, and the savings continue after the loan amount is repaid.

How energy performance contracts work

The process begins with an audit by an energy service contractor, or ESCO. Audits by energy efficiency consultants look at a facility’s current energy usage and potential for savings with more energy-efficient options. Once the ESCO determines a need for a retrofit project, they calculate the costs of the project and the economic savings. Based upon those calculations, financing is set up so that the payments for the equipment and installation do not exceed the projected savings.

Once the facility manager and ESCO reach an agreement, the installation begins. The installation may be through a separate contractor, but the ESCO arranges for the construction and payment to occur.

After the installation, some additional maintenance services may follow to make sure that the equipment is functioning properly during the repayment term. This ensures that savings are maximized and the ESCO does not incur any loss if the savings do not meet or exceed projected goals.

Once the loan is repaid, the savings pass on to the facility owners and they have a functional energy saving solution for years.

Conditions that call for an EPC

Certain conditions point to the need for an EPC. These conditions include an aging building, aging equipment, too many demands on maintenance staff, a tight budget and no recent upgrades on lighting or control systems. If a building is already operating at a good efficiency, there is not a need for an EPC because the guaranteed savings will be too low to recover installation and equipment costs.

Commercial lighting solutions of the previous generation included incandescent bulbs, metal halide lamps and high-pressure sodium lamps that were not as efficient as today’s lighting options. Now that new versions of those lights and LEDs have been created for a more efficient lighting experience, EPCs usually include the installation of LED lighting systems, dimming controls and occupancy sensors.

A commercial property with older lighting and other control systems benefits greatly from an EPC because they are designed around the needs and budget of the facility owners. Needs for parking lot lighting vary greatly from those of lighting for offices. Having a custom system gets a facility the right commercial lighting system for the best possible price.

Benefits of energy performance contracts

EPCs are insurance that a retrofit project will yield promised results, much like a warranty.

Savings are guaranteed for the term of the contract. The contractors want to fulfill their end of the deal so that they do not have to cover any costs. They also want to provide outstanding service to ensure continued business, so they’ll often cover all aspects of maintenance and installation. Rather than dealing with multiple contractors, facility owners have one source for any questions or repairs.

Older equipment is replaced with newer equipment. This improves safety, as worn equipment is more prone to hazardous breakdowns and malfunctions. With lighting and other systems, fire risks are increased with wiring and parts that may not meet current standards. There are also higher maintenance costs with old equipment because the parts have seen more wear and tear.

Many new systems include automation as well. Lighting systems have computerized controls that manage energy usage, automatically dim lights and centralize the task of monitoring equipment. After the ESCO is no longer responsible for maintenance, facility owners do not want to be left with a lot of maintenance tasks. Digital controls streamline those tasks for effortless facility management.

EPCs at work in different industries

EPCs are available for commercial properties in any industry.

In Mattoon, Ill., Sarah Bush Lincoln Health System has begun an EPC that includes commercial exterior lighting and new climate control equipment. The new equipment for the entire installation is price tagged at $3 million, but SBLHS is expected to save $334,000 every year. In as little as eight years, the healthcare facility will recover those project costs. The building owners will have continued savings and create a more comfortable environment for their patients with updated systems that operate more efficiently.

The Haldane School District in Cold Spring, N.Y., completed its installation in February 2013. The installation costs were $2.2 million and the district’s contract guarantees savings of $140,000 a year. The new lighting, boilers and other equipment will pay for themselves in about 15 years. While the school is saving dollars, the new energy saving systems are saving the environment by cutting down on harmful emissions caused by the brown energy sources used to provide electricity.

Applications can be large or small. They can be an overhaul of all systems or only one, but they are useful for any facility owner looking for an affordable way to improve a commercial property’s energy usage.

What to consider before entering an EPC

Finding an EPC is no different than any other renovation project. There are many different options to consider: vendors, equipment, costs and return on investment.

Shopping around is a necessary step. Less-expensive installations are a good deal, but they won’t mean much if guaranteed savings are small. The best contracts offer a good ratio between costs and the repayment term. Cheaper equipment is not as beneficial if the energy savings won’t recoup the costs in a reasonable amount of time.

No matter what vendor a facility owner chooses, energy performance contracts are a profitable investment. Newer technologies are made to last longer so savings continue for years.

Metal halide lamps are often used in school gyms and other settings requiring extensive lighting design.

When it comes to commercial lighting solutions, metal halide lamps have many applications because of their versatility in large-scale outdoor and indoor lighting. In our gyms, hotels, and supermarkets, we have seen these lamps.

Metal halide lamps make their way into commercial lighting design

Metal halide lamps were first developed in the 1960s to improve upon their predecessors, mercury lamps. Although mercury lamps lasted a long time, the color quality went down over time. They were not as useful for commercial application that requires crisp lighting at all times. Due to government regulation, mercury lamps were not used on as wide of a scale and required a more efficient replacement. Enter: MH lamps.

Compared to mercury lamps, MH lamps were a more efficient choice, as they produce 30-57 more lumens per watt. This means they produce more light with less energy. Less energy usage leads to lower energy costs. The efficiency of MH lamps results from their innovative design that gives consumers more out of each bulb.

MH lamps are built to deliver more quality from a single lamp

The key components of MH lamps each work separately and in conjunction to improve the life of the lamp, provide higher color quality and widespread application.

Dual arc tubes are a feature of the lamps that add to longevity. Arc tubes are the part of the lamp that generate light. They warm up and brighten over about a 10-minute period, and require cooling before they can charge again. Having two arc tubes relieves the strain on a single tube, as the lamps randomly switch between the two. When one burns out, the other is functional so that replacements do not need to be purchased as often.

Ceramic MH lamps have a casing around the tubes that allow for higher temperatures with less wear, leading to improved color rendering. Without the casing, those higher temperatures would normally decrease the lifespan of a bulb by causing unwanted changes in color. Their inclusion in the lamps ensures crisp, even lighting over a long time for application in hotel lighting, parking lot lighting, and more.

In addition to the ceramic casings, electronic ballast technology also makes sure the lighting is even by keeping the system stable. Ballasts limit the amount of electricity that goes to an MH lamp under normal operation conditions to prevent too much current from causing a breakdown in the system. The outcome is better efficiency and longevity overall because ballasts help the lamps run at their maximum level without causing too much distress, as well as a drop in energy costs due to consistent energy usage.

Application in commercial electric lighting

Metal halide lamps are built to last and provide a lot of light for less money. Their features make them one of the best choices for commercial exterior lights, facilities lighting, and even commercial office lighting.

These lamps score between 65 to 90 on the color rendering index, which measures how accurately artificial light sources show colors. According to Energy Star, the rating makes MH lamps among the best in regards to mirroring natural light. If they were used in a produce section of a grocery store, the greens would be greener and the reds would be redder. The produce would look healthier. More customers would be attracted to spend money on the products.

Like all lighting, street lights burn out eventually. However, they require more effort and time to replace: a team has to be sent out change it and traffic has to be interrupted while the work is completed. Additionally, it could be awhile before a team is dispatched to change a single light, which isn’t ideal if that light is the one outside of your home. Given that MH lamps can last for over three years while burning continuously, they’ll double that lifespan when used for street lights that only burn for half of the day.

There are even wireless control systems, such as Leafnut, that further improve on the efficiency and ease of implementing MH lamps as the best option when it commercial outdoor lights. Leafnut and similar products improve maintenance and system stability by monitoring all the lamps in the system. Data is monitored by devices in the lamps and uploaded to a secure webpage that can be accessed from any computer. An entire system of area lighting or street lights can be watched and controlled without leaving a chair.

Advanced control systems also save on energy. In addition the the components built into MH lamps that control the amount of electricity used for each lamp, Leafnut helps systems managers set the lamps to operate at the highest capacity without excess energy usage. The web portal has regular reports on the energy consumption of each lamp. If the energy usage for a lamp is too high, they can be dimmed remotely; saving time and money.

Why metal halide is the best choice for retail and facility lighting

There are many lighting options out there, and MH lamps have earned their place as a top contender. Compared to high pressure sodium lamps and fluorescent lamps, MH lamps deliver better quality and versatility.

HPS lamps have lower color rendering than MH lamps. In comparison to the Energy Star rating of the latter, an HPS lamp is not even in the “fair” category due to their low color index rating of 20 to 25. In outdoor settings that don’t require higher quality light, this is not an issue. When it comes to a setting such as a retail store, the products need to be vibrant and attractive. An HPS lamp would not be able to highlight the products in a way that catches a customer’s eye.

In commercial settings like warehouses or industrial shops, fluorescent lights are long and inflexible. Unlike an MH lamp, full-size fluorescent lamps make it harder to redirect the light. They’re shape disables use in creative ways that are not obtrusive.

Conversely, MH lamps can be used to spotlight new products at a department store or light up a busy street in a downtown area. Whether it is an indoor or outdoor application, metal halide lamps are built to last with consistent results and the finest quality available.

Energy Outreach Colorado is accepting applications for NEEP.

Nonprofit group Energy Outreach Colorado (EOC) announced it is accepting applications for its Nonprofit Energy Efficiency Program (NEEP). The nonprofit raises funds for statewide energy assistance and energy efficiency programs provides qualifying nonprofits with free energy efficiency upgrades to facilities serving low-income clients, the group said in a statement.

NEEP is not only funded by EOC but also the city and county of Denver as well as utility companies Atmos Energy, Source Gas and Xcel Energy. According to EOC, the purpose behind the program is to reduce energy costs for nonprofits so more of their budgets can be used to fund other programs for their clients. NEEP began in 2007 and more than $7.8 million in energy-efficiency upgrades have been installed in 152 facilities.

Organizations that received funding from NEEP are given at least $10,000 and as much as $120,000 in energy-efficiency upgrades, including new lighting installations.

Past recipients include Denver Rescue Mission, Catholic Charities, Food Bank of the Rockies, Open Door Ministries and Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.

Energy Outreach Colorado

Established in 1989, EOC has raised more than $182 million for nonprofit organizations. ECO funds energy bill payment assistance for thousands of households through partnerships with 100 assistance organizations in Colorado. According to the nonprofit’s website, it also offers education on reducing energy usage.

The independent, nonprofit organization is the only one in the state that raises money to help limited-income residents and facilities afford energy costs. The nonprofit organization said the average amount saved after it installs energy efficiency upgrades in facilities throughout the state is 20 percent of their energy bill.

The lighting specialists at Lumenistics can provide more information on the benefits of energy-efficient lighting solutions.