Electrical
Lighting efficiency series: The ultimate green lighting retrofit solution
Many companies have come to realize the tremendous value in switching to energy efficient light fixtures, enticed by savings of 50 per cent or more. Typically, existing fixtures are replaced with new fixtures such as T5 or T8 fluorescent lamps and ballasts. But there are alternatives that allow companies to use their existing fixtures – and enjoy the same savings.
November 26, 2009 By Greg Jones
Recently, retrofit kits have come to market that offer a viable option for businesses looking to increase their savings while using their existing assets. Installation costs with these kits are significantly lower that installing new fixtures
An example of this is Nexstar’s Easy Retrofit Induction Kit, which can be equipped with photocells and motion sensors to provide optimal lighting for 100,000 hours, with up to 20 years of no required maintenance. Retrofit kits keep the existing fixtures in use – and away from landfills.
Typical metal halides rely on the generation of light through a reaction between an electrical arc and the coating on the inside of the bulb. These units usually fail when a puncture causes the gas that sustains the arc to be released or when the electrode deteriorates. Induction lighting eliminates this defect by having no electrodes, instead using a magnetic coil in its place to transfer energy through a rounded design created to eliminate puncture points. It is these two design factors that give the induction lights their remarkable 100,000 hour life — compared to 1.5 years (10,000) for conventional CFLs and 3 years (20,000 hours) for metal halides — and offer a clear advantage in energy savings and usage.
In addition to increased life and durability, the induction lamp can be set up on preexisting fixtures, offers a color rendering (CRI) improvement to 80 CRI (from the typical 65 of a metal halide) and generates an average savings of over 50 per cent per month.
The simplicity and waste reduction advantages of this type of solution make retrofit kits the ultimate green lighting retrofit choice.
Greg Jones (g.jones@nexstarlighting.com) is President of Nexstar Lighting.
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