Lighting upgrades in parking lots can help companies save money without compromising consumer safety.
Seventeen percent of the energy used at a commercial building goes to power lighting. The building’s lighting also accounts for 18 percent of its carbon dioxide emissions, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Energy Data Book. However, lighting upgrades, including the installation of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) at commercial buildings and parking lots, help businesses reduce energy usage and save a significant amount of money.
The lighting in parking lots can contribute greatly to consumer and employee safety. While having a well-lit area is important, it does not always prove to be cheap. However, companies who have committed to installing LED lighting fixtures have saved money on energy and maintenance costs as well as reduced carbon emissions, according to Control Trends.
Walmart tests new LED lighting in store parking lots
To test the cost and energy savings potential of LEDs for parking lots, the Retailer Energy Alliance (REA), a group working for energy efficiency, recently recruited the large retailer Walmart.
Walmarts throughout the United States have been attempting to cut back on carbon emissions and reduce energy usage. Control Trends reported the retailer has more than 4,300 facilities in the United States with more than 699 million square feet of floor space. For the experiment, Walmart stores installed LED systems in parking lots to determine energy savings of new fixtures.
“Walmart expects LED parking lot lights to reduce energy needs in its parking lots by more than 50 percent, delivering average energy savings of over 125,000 kilowatt hours a year per site,” said Walmart’s senior mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems engineer Ralph Williams. “The energy savings is the equivalent of the energy consumed by 11 American households annually.”
After discovering how much energy and money could be saved, Walmart agreed that the project was beneficial for companies who were considering upgraded to LED and other energy efficient lighting systems. Control Trends said that since January, Walmart has planned to include LED parking lot lighting at 225 new stores.
Upgrading to energy efficient lighting can save a company or business significant amounts of money each year. By becoming more efficient, companies can also reduce their environmental footprint and become a most sustainable business. In areas like parking lots where lights are left on for extended periods of time, LED installations may be a smart solution. If you’re considering upgrading your parking lot lighting system, contact the lighting specialists at Lumenistics for a more personalized and custom consultation.