Do you know how much you’re spending on energy? More importantly, how much money are you losing each year? By switching to more energy efficient lighting like LED wallpacks or LED bollards, you could avoid a significant amount of unnecessary energy costs.
Unfortunately, 22% of America’s facilities have never undergone any type of lighting upgrade, or it has been more than 10 years since work has been done, according to a survey in the April 2013 issue of Today’s Facility Manager. That means 1.1 million facilities are wasting energy and in turn, they’re wasting money.
Using an annual cost per watt chart, you can begin to calculate how much you’re spending each year. For example, energy is priced at approximately $0.15 per kilowatt hour in the Boston area. A walkway in a commercial area has 15 bollards equipped with 70 watt metal-halide lamps and ballasts. If the luminaires are on 7 days a week for ten hours a day, it would cost $0.55 for each watt and $577.50 in total annual costs.
But what if they decide to switch to LED lighting? The same bollards are equipped with 15 watt LED modules and drivers, which emit about the same amount of light. If the luminaires are on 7 days a week for ten hours a day, it would cost $0.55 for each watt and $123.75 in total annual costs. For each year they delay switching to efficient lighting, they’re losing $453.75—only on the bollards!
Do you think it’s time to upgrade? With reduced energy consumption, LEDs have a fast return on investment. Calculate how much money you’re wasting on energy costs using an annual cost per watt chart.
