Lighting

Lighting design has typically been all about balancing ambient washing with feature spotting. The main goal has centered on obtaining the intangible result of inspiring our guest to "love" the store, see the store at the desired mood level, and buy-in to our retail story. Lighting manufacturers and vendors have been leading us to consider efficiency and life-cycle solutions for years. Recent advances with light-emitting diodes and lower wattage bulbs have combined with green "pressure" and rapidly escalating energy rates to force the issue with retailers and their architects. More architects than ever are in the middle of spending long hours with lighting vendors and design teams to determine the precise formula which produces maximum foot-candle influence and optimal guest experience using minimum energy demand.

A recent survey, conducted by an investment research company called "Off the Record," determined that 75% of its respondents are in the midst of conducting phased lighting retrofits of the entire store chain. Retrofits cited entailed replacement of 30-35 watt bulbs with 28 watt bulbs and high-efficiency ballasts. Of these, 67% reported their energy costs have increased between 0% "flat" to 5% for retrofitted stores with corresponding average supply cost increases of 6%-11%. This represents a definite success for demand-side energy management.

When asked about the main reason for approving lighting retrofits, the most popular answer has been "ROI" (return on investment). In the current retail climate, this is certainly not surprising. Yet, what at times is misplaced in the discussion is the truth that ROI equals GREEN when applied to facilities management! We are the professionals at the edge of the "future" with the lead responsibility for reporting on projects that have both attractive ROI's attached with the ever popular "green" benefit. Lighting retrofit projects provide the simplest proof of this since longer life, lower-power burning bulbs have the doubling green effect of saving on waste while reducing energy demand.

Manufacturers offering free consultation on lighting retrofits include the well-known majors General Electric, OSRAM SYLVANIA, and Phillips Electronics, as well as, Acuity's Lithonia and Optimum Lighting. Moreover, rebate programs are possible now in most states and regions, well beyond the popular PG&E and SDG&E territories of California. It was exciting to discover at PRSM2008! last April how attuned our lighting vendors are with existing rebate systems in nearly all states.

To participate in a rebate program, simply determine your greatest area of need, by concentration (geographically or highest electrical rate), and ask one of these resources for help navigating the application process.

Finally, Light-emitting diode (LED) technology is starting to breakthrough.

Yet, most people watching and studying the technology believe it will not be ready for broad scale deployment for another 2-5 years. This belief is based on the current high price and ongoing product refinement. As an example, 83% of the "Off the Record" respondents mentioned do not plan to use LED within the next year or more. As a result, retailers which aggressively pursue lighting retrofits now, using a 3 to 4 year life-cycle, may leverage paybacks to pursue LED as the next generation retrofit. How exciting! We can hardly wait!

So, with the passing of June, spring is out and summer is in. With plenty of sunlight in the forecast, next month's Green article will focus on the benefits and difficulties of implementing a "Daylight Harvesting" program.

This cool topic has a spin for use in any size retail box. The only requirement is exposure to natural light. Even for those of us formatted for the middle of a mall food court, you'll hear how you can convince your favorite developer to build a naturally lit atrium roof!

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