TruGreen Facility Gets a Makeover

By Randy Reid

Many of the retrofits we hear about are large, complex projects. Usually, something goes wrong. Other times the planets align, and everything goes smoothly. This project is about the latter – a small retrofit that was easy and seamless.

In the case of TruGreen’s Tupelo, MS, facility, energy savings was important, but the underlying reason for the retrofit was that the near-obsolete fluorescent tubes were providing inadequate lighting, failing to meet industry standards and incurring excessive maintenance costs with routine replacements.

Before

Photo Credit: TruGreen

The existing system had 13 four-lamp T12 troffers, consuming about 160 total system watts (including ballast losses). Universal Douglas proposed two retrofit scenarios: a linear LED system and a round high bay system. TruGreen decided on the RHBB Round High Bay Luminaire, which consumes 100 system watts and delivers 14,000 lumens.

After

Photo Credit: TruGreen

At $0.08 per kWh and 4,380 hours per year, the annual energy savings is $21.02 per fixture. Because of the RHBB's superior light distribution uniformity, TruGreen went from 13 fluorescent luminaires to 8 high bays, saving $168.19 annually. By removing 5 of the original fixtures, an additional $350.40 were saved, for a total annual savings of $518.59. But, as mentioned earlier, energy savings is just an added benefit.

The real story is in the quality of light. The fluorescent lamps seemed to punch the light straight down with very few vertical foot-candles. The RHBB LED round luminaires, which feature a 90-degree beam angle, lit up the shelves and provided substantial vertical illumination. The system was designed to deliver 17 foot-candles to the work surface, increasing light levels at the workstations and in the general maintenance area. Further, the RHBB luminaires have a color rendering index (CRI) of 80, compared with 62 for the fluorescent lamps, further improving the quality of light.

In addition to the improved quality of light and the energy savings, installation was easy and inexpensive. The job site already had a 120V plug drop at every location, so a simple cord set was installed on site, and the luminaires were simply hung and plugged in. The entire process took less than a day, and the facility never had to cease operations for installation.

Speaking of maintenance – with a 50,000 hour warranty, TruGreen won’t have to touch the fixtures for at least 10 years, long after the retrofit has paid for itself in energy reductions. They can focus on serving their customers instead of fumbling around in the dark. No more grabbing the wrong weed killer or fertilizer. No more using an iPhone flashlight to locate the correct customer’s file. Every inch of the warehouse is now properly lit with a long term solution that will save the company money. This is truly a win-win. ■