Due to the current state of the economy and the rising electricity costs in New York (NY) a common question is "how can we reduce our businesses energy costs?" The answer can be simple or complicated depending on the approach your company chooses.
Although there are a number of energy saving technologies for reducing power consumption available today. One must take a step back and examine all of the contributing factors. In the city of NY many energy efficient technologies can be extremely difficult or impossible to implement.
- Wind power certainly has energy saving potential however, installing wind turbines on a 50 story building in Manhattan is more than likely going to be extremely expensive if even possible.
- Solar Panels can provide excellent supplemental energy to help reduce your electricity need, but there will be a couple of immediate problems that will have to be addressed. The first will be "where will you install the panels?" The roof on a multi-floor building is already littered with other mechanicals and will most likely not be able to accommodate the space you would need.
The second problem will be even if you were able to install the panels, it is very doubtful that you will generate enough power to make it a practical decision for a 25-75 floor building. - Geothermal energy is also another great energy reducing source however, in NYC drilling to the levels needed will almost never be an option.
As a result of the difficulties above this leaves us with LED lighting. In comparison to other energy saving methods LED lighting is very simple to replace or retrofit. Typical energy reductions run from 50-80 percent depending on the particular lighting application.
The newest LED light bulbs, lamps and tubes offer energy efficient replacements for nearly any lighting application you can imagine including indoor and outdoor projects.
In order to properly ascertain if a lighting retrofit or replacement would be the right choice for your business, the best idea is to have a comprehensive audit and analysis performed at your facilty. A thorough report can then be generated to provide an accurate comparison of existing costs and usage details vs the new LED lighting.
A quality lighting energy audit should contain the following:
- Wattage of the existing light bulbs and replacements.
- Number of hours the lighting is running for all areas.
- Electricity rate being charged by your local utility company.
- Amount saved per month and year.
- Percentage of electricity reduced.
- Return on investment (ROI) for lighting project.
- Rebate and incentive programs for your particular area.
LED lighting products:
Last but not least are the actual LED bulbs and tubes themselves. All LED's are not created equal! Products can range from poor to excellent depending on the manufacturer. It is important to read and review the product specifications to determine light output, color temperature, longevity, price and warranty as well as a number of other relevant factors.
Please keep in mind that the lowest price bulb does not necessarily mean the best savings or superior ROI. In fact, usually the cheapest bulb with a poor warranty is likely the provide inferior savings and operational stability.
In conclusion I think that you will find in most instances replacing or retrofitting your existing traditional incandescent and fluorescent lighting with a quality LED light will provide significant savings as well as contribute toward your company becoming a cleaner and greener facility.