Making Buildings Better
TM
COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL ENERGY CONSULTING
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO
(505) 918-8476
Case
Study
POWER FORD DEALERSHIP LOT
PROJECT
Night-time illumination improvement
After consulting with Power Ford, ECOterra Energy Consulting designed and implemented an energy-saving plan using LEDs to dramatically upgrade the lighting in their vehicle lot. Scroll down the page to see and read about the difference.
ECOterra Energy Consulting replaced Power Ford’s HID metal halides with high performance LED’s, providing higher quality lighting, reduced kWh & energy costs as well as removing maintenance for up to 20 years.
We also installed an astronomical timeclock that adjusts for hours of operation seasonally, reducing energy use as well. Light quality, energy savings and safety were the driving factors for this project.
HERE ARE THE ENERGY-SAVINGS RESULTS
Total project cost:
Utility rebate:
Net amount financed:
$241,000
$ 49,000
$192,000
Energy savings per year:
Financing: 5 yrs @ 6% per/yr:
Cash flow per year:
$76,300
$44,500
+$31,800
With ECOterra’s plan, Power Ford is realizing a $31,800 per year energy savings over previous years.
QUALITY OF LIGHT COMPARISON
Comparison between LEDs and other products such as Metal Halide, High Pressure Sodium and HO T5 Fluorescents. LEDs also require no maintenance for up to 20 years with warranties as long as 20 years. Besides being far more efficient than other lighting products, the light quality is better with LEDs. In addition to all of the obvious benefits, LEDs maintain their light intensity output by 2X, 5X and as much as 10X more than the other products listed, which all lose lumens over their lifespan.
T5 HO FLUORESCENT vs. LED
HIGH PRESSURE SODIUM vs. METAL HALIDE vs. LED
WHY IS LED LIGHTING SO SUPERIOR?
A Light Emitting Diode (LED) is a type of solid-state lighting that uses a semi-conductor to convert electricity into light. LEDs can reduce energy costs by 80% over incandescent lighting. An LED bulb has a life of three years if run 24 hours a day, seven days a week. With a life of 25,000+ hours, they work 25 times longer than traditional light bulbs.
LEDs use energy far more efficiently with very little wasted heat. In comparison, old-fashioned bulbs release up to 90 percent of their energy as heat. Not an energy-efficient method as you then must mitigate that heat.
LEDs are quite versatile in the ways they can be used as well. From traffic lights and vehicle lights to TVs and display cases, LEDs have many unique characteristics including compact size, ease of maintenance, resistance to breakage and the ability to pinpoint the light in a single direction.
LEDs contain no mercury, another huge advantage over compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). LED technology has been steadily improving since its introduction and will continue to improve in the years to come.
LEDs were invented in 1962 by Nick Holonyak, Jr. when he was working for GE. By 2011, global sales of 60 watt equivalent LED bulbs alone increased by 22 percent while the cost of 60 watt equivalent bulbs of other sorts declined by 40 percent.
In 2012, close to 49 million LEDs were installed in the United States, saving about $675 million in annual energy costs. This reduces energy consumption by nearly 50 percent thereby avoiding 1,800 million metric tons of carbon emmissions. By 2030, it is estimated that LEDs will account for 75% of all bulb sales.