18 Watt LED Linear Replacement Lamps Receive DLC Certification

RedBird LED Inc., an Atlanta, GA. firm that specializes in the design, manufacturing and distribution of  high quality energy efficient LED linear lighting products,is pleased to announce their second certification by the DesignLights Consortium (DLC) of their Cardinal™ LED Linear Retrofit products. Jonathan Eppstein, President of RedBird LED commented, “While we were ecstatic to have been the first, and only LED Linear Replacement Lamp to have qualified for DLC Certification with our 22 watt product in May, the DLC Certification for our 18 watt lamp is an even more exciting event. We expect the 22 watt Cardinal Linear Replacement lamp to have a greater impact on the adoption and deployment of this breakthrough product. The 22 watt linear replacement lamp product is a popular choice for parking garages and high-bay situations where the higher  lighting output is better deployed.  Having both our 22 and 18 watt LED tubes on the DLC Qualified Product List solidifies our position as the market leader in this sector of the LED lighting industry.”

By establishing the Cardinal LED tube light's position on the Qualified Product List of the DLC, RedBird LED has ensured that these products will be eligible for all rebate programs currently in place among the DLC's membership and will facilitate rapid approval by other rebate sources as well.  In May, RedBird LED  received certification by the DLC for their 22 watt LED Linear Replacement Lamp at both 4100K and 5000K CCTs.  Culminating several years of development and testing, the Cardinal™ LED Linear Replacement Lamp has become both the first, second, and still the only LED tube light in the world to receive DLC Certification.  

The DLC is the premier resource for high-quality review and certification of LED lighting products that are not covered under the Energy STAR designated categories. The DLC membership is a nationwide consortium of utilities, EMCs and energy-efficiency programs across the United States and Canada. For more information about the DesignLights Consortium please visit their website at www.designlights.org.
The new DLC Certification covers the 18 watt models at both 4100K and 5000K CCTs.

The 18 watt linear replacement lamp is the most popular model used for one to one fluorescent lighting retrofits of standard 32 watt T8 or 40 watt T12 fluorescent lamps.  A tube-for-tube retrofit of 32 watt T8s lamps with our 18 watt linear replacement lamps typically delivers a 15-20% increase in measured lux levels, when before and after conversion data is collected. These increased lighting levels provide optimal performance for most commercial office and retail settings.

Redbird LED is an Atlanta based designer and manufacturer of LED linear lights. Their company mission is to focus exclusively on providing quality LED linear light solutions to their customers. Redbird LED's core technology is in their premier linear LED light , designed and engineered specifically for retrofits of traditional fluorescent tube lights.

Contact: info@redbirdled.com 678-733-2473, RedBird LED, Inc. 1202 Gail Drive, Atlanta, GA 30319

Convenience Stores Save Lighting Energy With LED Lamps

Stewart's Shops recently completed an energy efficient lighting retrofit project at their corporate headquarters in Saratoga Springs, New York. Stewart's Shops operates 328 convenience stores in Upstate New York and Vermont. The annual savings from the lighting retrofit and replacement program is projected to be almost $78.000 per year. Based on these savings the lighting retrofit project will have a very quick payback period of less than sixteen months.

The existing lighting was replaced with more energy efficient T8 and T5 fluorescent lighting and LED lighting in all of the cold storage and freezer space. The ability of LED lighting to outperform other lighting options in cold temperatures was a key to the success of this project. “The ice cream freezer was the latest phase in a larger energy-efficiency project we've been working on with SmartWatt Energy for the last couple of years,” explained Gary Drake, President at Stewart’s Shops. The new energy efficient lighting will save 783,481 kWh of electricity per year. Stewart's Shops owns all of their real estate holding so these savings are important because they fall directly to their bottom line.

LED lighting provides many benefits for convenience store owners. In addition to energy and maintenance savings, LED lighting provides more uniform lighting and illumination that contribute to a better presentation of store products. This is especially important for food products in refrigerated cases and can lead to increased sales. LED lamps also produce less heat than fluorescent lamps which will lessen the load on the store's refrigeration system. LED’s work very well in the cold and last over 50,000 hours in a cooler and almost 100,000 hours in a freezer. 


RedBird LED, offers a number of high quality LED Linear Replacement lamps that are featured in convenience stores across the country. For more technical information on LED lighting please call 678-733-2473 or visit the RedBird LED website.

Utility Energy Rebates Provide Needed Upfront Financing For Lighting Retrofits

 Many companies, concerned about future supply and pricing of T12 lamps have pursued lighting retrofit projects to replace their existing lighting with more energy efficient T5 or T8 lamps.This week, the Department of Energy regulations that eliminate the manufacture of most T12 fluorescent lamps will take effect. 

Utility companies have encouraged these efforts by offering energy efficient lighting upgrade and replacement rebates.In many cases these rebates cover 50% of the installation costs for the lighting retrofit. These energy rebates allowed companies to replace their T12 lamps with their quality LED replacement lamps.

One utility company that extended their rebate time period is DTE Energy in Michigan. DTE is offering special cash incentives to business owners who invest in new energy efficient lighting technologies through July 31, 2012, as part of the company's Energy Efficiency Program for Business. The financial incentives are available to businesses that convert older model, T12 fluorescent lights to high performance or low wattage-high performance T8 lamps and electronic ballasts. In California, Northern California utility companies will continue to offer energy saving rebates/incentives for these T12 to T8, T5 or LED upgrades through December 2012.

RedBird LED is an Atlanta-based manufacturer and designer of high quality LED linear replacement lamps. Their products have been used in national grocery, convenience stores, major hotel chains and corporate facilities throughout the country. To learn more about retrofitting your facility lighting and available energy rebate programs please visit the RedBird LED website.

Buildings Magazine Featured Lighting Retrofit Mistakes to Avoid

Energy efficient lighting retrofit projects have proven to be one of the simplest and direct ways to not only reduce lighting and maintenance costs but also reduce a corporation’ carbon footprint. This week is the deadline the DOE has set for the end of production of energy inefficient T12 lamps. This is just one more reason to pursue an energy efficient lightingretrofit program for your facilities. Most companies report saving between 35-60% of their annual lighting costs after retrofitting their lighting with LED linear replacement lamps.

Buildings Magazine recently reported on the energy saving benefits from a lighting retrofit program and 17 mistakes to avoid. Our thanks to author David Laybourn with Lime Energy. This was a helpful guide to some mistakes companies have made in past projects. This is a good learning opportunity even for experienced facility managers and engineers.

Choosing the wrong team- Make sure you select a vendor partner with experience and the ability to help you reach your energy saving goals.

Conflicting Chain of Command- Important to have a project manager that provides direction to the entire team who has budget and negotiating ability.

Neglecting Frontline People- Involve the end-users of the space from the beginning to get their buy-in and insure that they will be happy with finished project.

Calling in Experts Too Late- Involve all needed expertise at the start of the project rather than in the middle or after the project is done.

Underestimating the Importance of a Lighting Audit- The lighting audit provides the foundation for the entire project and integrates the financial goals with appropriate selection of lighting approaches and equipment.

Using the Wrong Approach- Use a system based approach rather than a single manufacturer approach. Energy savings are only maximized when all energy systems work together

Buying Based on price- “Energy-saving retrofit projects bought on price alone are usually a false economy. The few pennies saved upfront can cost thousands in lost savings, increased maintenance costs, and losses in worker productivity. Since the energy savings are paying for the project, why not choose higher quality and avoid risky situations, even if it means adding a few months to the payback?”

To read the full article please visit Buildings Magazinewebsite.

One area not addressed in the article is one of the major obstacles to launching an energy efficient lighting program -the upfront cost. Many utilities offer energy rebates for  upgrading lighting to LED lamps or other more energy efficient technology. Many times these rebate program cans pay for up to 50% of the installation cost.

Recently RedBird LED announced that their four foot Cardinal Linear Replacement LED Lamps were certified by the DesignLights Consortium. These products are the only four foot LED lamps that would qualify for energy rebates  from DLC Utility Company member firms. For more information on these products please visit their website.

Brookshire Brothers Lighting Retrofit Program

Brookshire Brothers, a grocery store chain based in Texas, is currently completing an energy efficient lighting retrofit in all of their seventy two stores as reported by Environmental Leader.It is estimated that the lighting retrofit, when complete, will save Brookshire Brothers $235,000 annually. They will save an average of $3,200 per store by upgrading from 32 watt linear fluorescent lamps to more energy efficient 28 watt T8 Tube lights.

 "When we looked at options to impact our total energy costs, we identified several areas at different stores where new lighting, including LED fixtures, made a compelling case, both indoors and out," said Eric Johnson, director of construction for Brookshire Brothers. "The store directors have all been impressed," Johnson said. "The parking lots shine, the signage is crisper and the colors of the products show much better. There have only been very positive comments. I feel we've found our standard for lighting moving forward.

 To read more about this project-http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/06/28/brookshire-brothers-taps-ge-for-lighting-in-72-supermarkets/

To learn more about LED Linear replacement lamps and energy savings from lighting retrofits please visit our website- www.redbirdled.com