The student recreation facility at the University of Illinois Chicago has replaced its old lighting with commercial LED lighting to make big cuts to maintenance costs.
According to Energy Manager Today, replacement costs for one bulb at the 18,000-square-foot building were $5,000 due the building’s unique architecture and high-mount fixtures. Those costs only went to renting the lift required to reach the fixture, and didn’t even include the cost of the bulb.
New lighting was installed in the lobby, indoor multi-activity court, fitness and weight room areas and the racquetball courts to lessen those financial demands.
The new fixtures last for 100,000 hours compared to the old commercial lighting setup, which maxed out at 20,000 hours. The advantage of long lifetimes with low voltage LED lighting grants facilities like the UIC student recreation building alleviation of the high costs of replacing hard to reach fixtures. Now, the university will not have to pay for equipment to change out the fixtures as often.
LED commercial lighting fixtures will also produce considerable energy savings for the building. It is estimated that total electric bill savings will be $20,000 annually. Additionally, occupancy sensors and daylight harvesting are also used at the facility through wireless lighting controls to provide more reductions in energy usage.
An industry favorite for green lighting solutions
As more efficient commercial lighting buries incandescent bulbs, low profile lighting has become the top choice for replacement bulbs and fixtures.
St. Louis NBC affiliate KSDK reports LED lighting has topped the charts of Consumer Reports for lighting solutions. LEDs are dimmable and they have expanded service times that allow for maintenance savings at UIC’s recreation center and comparable facilities. They also do not contain any harmful materials such as mercury.
In the past, sodium vapor lamps were the top choice in these applications because they too offer elongated lifetimes and high luminous efficacy. However, they have poor color rendering.
LED commercial lighting systems provide color rendering that can exceed 90 CRI and they last long enough to cut down on replacement and labor costs.
Not to mention, LEDs are the most energy efficient lighting on the market. They offer 80 percent energy savings and their compatibility with all kinds of lighting controls provides a custom lighting experience for any facility.
