Brief:
When renovating an old space or moving into new, lighting is one of the most important aspects to consider for tenant approval.  Lighting is like the ribbon on a birthday present.  The wrapping paper looks nice, but the ribbon makes the package.  The same with lighting.  It is not a place to cut corners.

In the world of electronics, lighting changes come about as fast as any.  The technology is astounding.  Just a generation ago, the standard, incandescent 100 watt light bulb, like you might use in a closet, lasted 1000 hours.  That was plenty long enough for a closet, but not for a facility. Now there are Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL), those little spiral lamps that last 10,000 hours and put out 400% more light than an incandescent.  In other words, a 25 Watt CFL puts out 100 watts of light and lasts ten times longer.

Then there is LED, the latest and greatest in the world of lighting. The Light Emitting Diode (LED) is a very small lamp, usually one to two watts, that is highly efficient and similar to the Compact Fluorescent Lamp with this advantage: They last forever, at least when compared to other lighting.  Lamp life, the amount of time a lamp will burn, is 50,000- 100,000 hours.  After 50,000 hours, the light begins to dim significantly.

How does the Property Manager or Facilities Engineer know which lamps to use and where?  What is the difference in T8 lamps, T5 lamps and T12 lamps?  What do those numbers mean?  What is a ballast, and why do I need one? If you are responsible for the electric bill, and lighting is usually 40-45% of the electric bill in these environments, you will want to read further.

Cost Review Fluorescent Lamps and Ballasts Price Range  

NF34T12 - The standard T12 4' fluorescent lamp (30 lamps/box): $1.25 - $   1.50/lamp

Ballast - 2-lamp Electromagnetic (10/box): $12.00 - $ 14.00/ballast  

F32T8 - Highly Efficient T8 4' fluorescent lamp (25/box): $1.35 - $1.95/lamp

Ballast - 2,3 or 4-lamp Electronic (10/box): $15.00 - $ 22.00/ballast

FB34T12U - Standard U shape T12 fluorescent lamp (12/box): $6.00 - $   8.00/lamp

Ballast - 2-lamp Electromagnetic (10/box):$12.00 - $ 14.00/ballast

FB32T8U - Highly Efficient U shape T8 fluorescent lamp (15/box): $7.00 - $   9.00/lamp

Ballast - 2-lamp Electronic (10/box): $15.00 - $ 22.00/ballast

 

Lighting in the Office and Office Industrial Environment

Lighting in the office environment usually accounts for approximately 40% of the total electric bill. If a facility has annual electric costs of $ 1.80/sq.ft., lighting will account for at least $ .72/sq.ft., with the majority of the rest going to HVAC.

If the management team is responsible for the electric bill, lighting is a great place to reduce that expense. If the management is not responsible for the electric bill, energy efficient lighting is a great marketing tool to entice new tenants.

The standard lighting fixture in the office is the 2X4 lay-in fluorescent fixture. It is a “lay-in” because it lays in the ceiling grid, and the surface is flush with the ceiling. These types of fixtures usually have three or four fluorescent lamps and appropriate ballast(s) to make the lamps fire. The lamps are covered by an acrylic, translucent lens in most cases but sometimes have a decorative “18 Cell Parabolic Louver” T he fixture will normally have 3 or 4, usually 4, lamps. These lamps will be either the older type F34T12 that are 34 watts each (F34) and the lamp is 12/8 inch or 1 ½ “ in diameter, or the newer technology F32T8 lamp that uses 32 watts (F32) and is 8/8 inch or 1” in diameter.

The T12 means the lamp is 12/8 inch in diameter (1 ½”). The number after the “T” refers to the diameter in 1/8” increments. A T8 lamp is 1” in diameter (8/8”). Similarly, a T5 lamp is 5/8” in diameter. The T8 system is approximately 22% more energy efficient than the T12 system and maintains a higher light level.

NOTE: When converting from F34T12 lamps to F32T8 lamps, the old electromagnetic ballasts must be replaced with the T8 Electronic solid-state ballast. If the ballast is not changed, the new T8 lamps will quickly burn out. The electronic ballast that powers the T8 lamp is solid-state, has an estimated life of 15-20 years and emits very little heat, thus lowering the air conditioning load. One ballast can power 2, 3 or 4 lamps, unlike the standard electromagnetic ballast which powers only two.

Reuse Existing Fixtures
During a renovation or buildout of the tenant space, money can be saved if the existing light fixtures are reused. A 2X4 fixture is a 2X4 fixture. If the acrylic lens is stained, a new lens can be purchased for less than $ 10.00. A new fixture, installed, ranges from $ 90 to $ 150 and includes lamps and ballast. If the existing fixtures use T12 lamps, they should be converted to T8 lamps with electronic ballast. The conversion typically costs from $ 45 to $ 50 per fixture, and the payback is within a couple of years, based on hours of use.

Remember this: A lamp is never brighter than it is the first time it is turned ON. From that point on, the light becomes gradually dimmer with each hour of use. The typical T12 lamp will lose 30% of its light by the end of lamp life. A T8 lamps loses only 10%, yielding a brighter office for a longer time.

Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL): What is the advantage of changing my recessed down light from a flood light to the spiral-type Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL)? Compact Fluorescent Lamps can be 1-piece where the ballast is part of the lamp, or 2-piece where the ballast is separate. The 2-piece has a higher initial cost; but when the lamp burns out, just unplug the lamp and plug in another. The same ballast can be used over-and-over.

I've tried these compact fluoresents before, and the color is way too harsh. Most do not know that the CFL comes in a variety of colors, brightness and shapes. The local retail or hardware store stocks only limited items, usually harsh and bright configurations. The lamp “color and brightness” is determined by burn-temperature of the lamp, in degrees-Kelvin, and should be located on the box. Warm White has an incandescent look, while Cool White appears brighter white. The lower the burn-temperature rating, the softer the light, ie. a lamp rated at 27, or 2700K is a softer white than a lamp rated at 41, or 4100K The newer “Daybright” lamps have burn-temperatures at 5000 or 6000K and are attention-getting. That is not necessarily a good thing.

Price Range:
Standard Non-Dimmable CFL: $ 3.00- $ 6.00 (based on wattage and color)
Dimmable CFL:   $ 11.00- $ 19.00 (based on wattage and color)
NOTE: If the lighting is on a dimmer system, you must use a dimmable Compact Fluorescent Lamp.

What does LED stand for and what are the advantages of LED lighting? LED (Light Emitting Diode) first came to fame as the little red lights on the circuit boards in computers. They were usually red or green, and blinked. They now have new glory as the state-of-the-art lighting system, as well as a new large panel television, purported to be the brightest and clearest ever. The LED made it's first appearance as a lighting product in the early 1990's as an EXIT light.  Exit lights burn 24/7, using energy even when no one is around. The LED Exit fixture reduced the fixture wattage from 40 watts to 5 watts, an 88% energy savings. Instead of burning out every 2,000 hours, they lasted 25 times longer, at least. If you have standard Exit fixtures, you know what to do. Upgrade. There is no reason to pay the power company extra money every month.  

The $ 100.00 Light Bulb
Recently, LED technology has developed spot (flood) lights that are ideal for hard-to-get-to places, like high ceilings.  If architects ever had to change light bulbs, they would rethink the lights they put in high places. Though these lamps are.. cough, cough… costly, the fact that they last so long makes the cost a great investment. Renting a 25 foot hydraulic lift to change a light bulb has a cost of about $ 200.00 plus pick up and delivery. Presently,these lamps cost from $ 80- $ 120 each. The Light Emitting Diode (LED) is a very small lamp, usually 1-2 watts, that is highly efficient, similar to the Compact Fluorescent Lamp, with this advantage: They last forever, at least when compared to other lighting. Lamp life, the amount of time a lamp will burn, is 50,000- 100,000 hours.

 

The LED Lo-Bay Parking Deck Light
Using only 108 watts, the LED Lo-Bay light is ideal for parking decks, garages and distribution centers, replacing the 100- 150 watt metal halide fixture that is often used. The LED fixture lasts 50,000 hours or more, 2-3 times longer than the metal halide lamp, and it requires no ballast.  Cost: $ 400- $ 500

Manufactured by Lighting Science Group  www.lsgc.com in Dallas, Texas, Lighting Science is one of the leaders in LED technology and are presently convertingall City of Raleigh, N.C. parking deck lighting, as well as the parking decks at The Church of the Apostles in Atlanta. They also provided the LED lighting in the New Years Eve Crystal Ball in New York City.

What is a ballast, and why do I need one?

The standard incandescent lamp has a filament inside the bulb that lights up through electrical resistance. It requires no external source, the ballast, to provide the electrical discharge to light the lamp because there is no type of gas involved. Unfortunately, the incandescent lamp is an energy hog, leaving a size 20 carbon foot print. This is not good. Al Gore would not be happy.

Fluorescent lamps have gases inside the glass tube that can only be ignited by an outside source, the ballast. The ballast is used for all fluorescent lamps, including the Compact Fluorescent, where the ballast is located in the base of the lamp.

Metal Halide or High Pressure Sodium lamps that are often used in parking decks and parking lots require a ballast to light the lamp. LED lamps require no ballast.

Motion and Infrared Occupancy Sensors

Nothing saves lighting energy like keeping the lights OFF when the space is unoccupied. Occupancy Sensors have been around for decades but are only now gaining popularity. These sensors are ideal for rest rooms, break rooms, conference rooms, offices, warehouses, stairwells and anywhere that the lights are ON when they should be OFF. The payback is less than a year in most cases. Many large distribution centers have adapted occupancy technology to keep aisle lighting OFF or DIM during times of no traffic. Prices vary but small office, breakroom, conference room and bathroom sensors range from $ 70- $ 150 each plus installation, which requires 1-2 hours per sensor.

Parking Lot Lighting Maintenance

Most parking lots have single-head or muti-head lamp posts. The lighting is usually Metal Halide, the bright, white light one would see in automobile dealership lots. There are a few remaining lots that use the High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lamps, but most have converted because of the yellow-amber light color. HPS light is very unflattering in color and makes a blue car appear green. People actually have trouble finding their car.   Most of the lamp posts are between 20' and 25', though at malls and shopping centers, may be as high as 50'.  The major cost in maintaining parking lot lights is not the lamps or ballasts, but the labor and lift-fee. The higher the pole, the more the cost.

HINT: If there is a four-hour minimum and $ 700 fee, go ahead and change all the lamps at one time.  Lamps cost $ 20 and a good crew can change a lamp in 20 minutes.   With relamping, the lamps should last 2-3 years before needing replacement. A ballast will typically last for three or four lamps. Changing one or two parking lot lights at a time is very costly.According to Rob Edwards, President of Atlantic Lighting and Supply in Atlanta, “We get a lot of calls to change one parking lot light. A lot of hotels require it. We charge $ 85 and hour with a two-hour minimum, so it costs the customer $ 160 for a single light! Plus the lamp! It only makes sense to change as many as you can during the minimum.”