3 Exterior Lighting Solutions That Shine a Light on Savings
Exterior lighting solutions are a vital part of your brand image and can make all the difference in how your business or facility is perceived.
Proper exterior lighting sends several clear messages, the first being you’re open for business. If you’ve ever driven down a busy thoroughfare at night, you’re familiar with which businesses draw the eye. Those with clearly lit exterior signage send a signal that they’re still in operation and stand out from nearby competitors in a second. By eschewing dim, flickering, or inoperable exterior lighting elements, brands also show they’re serious about how they’re viewed and are willing to address all details — inside and outside of the building.
Strong lighting elements also signal you care about your customers’ safety. Well-lit parking lots and entrances fueled by properly functioning exterior lighting will make those coming to your business or working for it feel confident that you have their well-being in mind. It’s a clear way to show that your business has a vested interest in providing a safe place.
Lastly, proper exterior lighting is a requirement. There are minimum standards that must be met, dictated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration branch of the US Department of Labor, that are sometimes augmented by local codes and ordinances. Adhering to these is essential for any long-term plan for success for any facility.
Three Lighting Solutions to Ensure Your Exterior Lighting is Always on Par
The easiest way to get a jump on saving money and improving your lighting performance is upgrading to a LED system. LED lighting, which stands for light-emitting diode, products produce light up to 90 percent more efficiently than incandescent light bulbs. LED retrofits and upgrades aren’t new, but if your brand hasn’t executed a switch toward leveraging the latest lighting standards, you’re not only missing out on energy savings but also putting your systems at risk of failing sooner.
LED upgrades will help you maximize the return on investment in your lighting system. Activating a LED switch is a relatively easy process, even within existing systems to make sure you get a longer shelf-life out of older setups. With this conversion, you’ll start seeing better performance from your lighting and better prices on your energy bill.
If you’re mulling the installation of a full lighting system conversion, or a new one entirely, conducting an energy/lighting survey or audit will serve you well. This examination will help develop a proper scope and budget for the work that needs to be done. An audit will show you how much of your energy bill is toward lighting, the hours the lights are on, and the cost per kilowatt-hour. It will also show how much you could potentially save, and the rebate you could earn from the utility company for upgrading.
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) sets the standard for energy audits at three levels: 1, 2 and 3. A Level 1 audit is a screening or walk-through audit that provides a basic starting point involving interviews and a review of bills and operating data. A Level 2 audit builds on the findings of a Level 1 audit and evaluates the building’s systems in detail to define a variety of potential improvements. A Level 3 or “investment-grade” audit will offer a detailed analysis, with weeks or months of data gathering, designed to produce a full building computer simulation that can be toggled with the prospective changes to predict accurate future results.
Lastly, if you want to get a firm grasp on how well your current lighting system is performing or how it might do in a new setting, investing in a photometric analysis will provide some answers. Photometrics is the study of how people perceive light, its coverage area, where it cuts off, and the intensity of light relative to the distance from the source. Photometrics is a design, construction, and logistics tool all in one.
Photometrics will allow you to understand how light is distributed in and around your facility and whether your system meets or will meet the quantitative Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) of North America guidelines of light levels needed for different tasks and activities based on the nature of the space.
At Stratus, We’re Lighting the Way Forward
In 2019 alone, we completed 13,000 energy-related projects across the country — driving down costs, increasing sustainability, and improving operational performance for our clients. From LED retrofits to energy audits, our team is constantly identifying opportunities to activate energy efficient programs to meet your needs — for both interior and exterior lighting solutions.
We’ll help you manage your energy and lighting footprints with a dedicated team that covers 100 percent of the country, saved clients a total of 80 kWh in 2019, and produced $1.3 million in rebate savings.
Contact Us to Flip the Switch on Your Lighting Program
At Stratus, we’re committed to igniting our energy in pursuit of finding ideal solutions among infinite possibilities for our clients. Crafted from the combined 150-year legacy of MC Group and ICON, Stratus is a national provider of signage, refresh & remodel, repair & maintenance, and energy solutions.
Ready to find solutions for your lighting challenges and energy upgrades that will help you better manage your usage for a positive return on investment. Connect with us today.