Welcome to our fifth edition of GE Highlight, our e-newsletter to advise you of GE Lighting products and industry happenings. Of particular interest in this issue is the lead story – Plant Lighting Revived-GE Retrofits The Oakville Lighting Plant. We hope you find GE Highlight informative. Please forward it to your associates, or better yet, add their names to our list using the form at the end of the newsletter. Have a delightful day.

Plant Lighting Revived-GE Retrofits The Oakville Lighting Plant

Introduction

In August 2005 the Oakville Lighting Plant replaced 950 of its own fixtures. Each fixture was replaced with 6 T8 28W High-Bay Fluorescent Lamps. The whole retrofit took a total of 2 weeks. The process was simple and quick, no re-wiring was required. Total cost of this project was an estimated $250,000. Seems like a lot, but it was estimated that the total cost of the retrofit would pay for itself in just over two years.

One year later, that estimate is now becoming a reality. The plant has already saved close to $120,000 in energy costs savings…

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Energy Cost Savings

Before the retrofit each fixture required 350 – 400 watts. After the retrofit, that wattage was cut in half to 196 per fixture. This resulted in energy cost savings between 44% and 51%. In dollars that is an estimated $120,000 per year in energy cost savings.

Not only did Oakville’s accountant notice a difference, but so did the employees…

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Employee Reaction Positive-Better Light

Employees noticed a big difference in their working conditions says John Snider, Maintenance & Facilities Manager. Although the total lumens were down slightly, the plant was experienced in a better light. Before the retrofit, light was lost into the ceiling. Now, light is directed downwards, illuminating the floor more efficiently.

Before	After

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Global Retrofit Initiative

The Oakville Retrofit Project is a part of a Global initiative that will involve 148 GE Industrial Manufacturing Plants and Warehouses worldwide-110 in the Americas, 36 in Europe and 2 in Asia. GE is expecting to cut annual lighting energy cost at each factory by an average of 50%. Given that energy can use up to 88% of your lighting dollar; these savings are significant for an industrial facility.

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Saving Green GE's and Yours

GE are estimating upon completion of project they will save $ 12.8 million in energy costs, annually when compared to the previous lighting.* Not only will GE will be saving energy costs they are helping preserve the environment as the retrofit is forecasted to use 155,700 metric tones of CO2, which equates to the ongoing elimination of pollution from nearly 30,000 average sized cars.

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T8's In Action-Energy Cost Savings and Better Light

Primary to each upgrade are six lamp T8 High-Bay Fluorescent Systems, which cuts watts used by over 50%, from 465 W/fixture to 220 W/fixture at the ballast. The T8 System Retrofit also mean better light, the CRI (Color Rendering Index) increased to 80 from 22 CRI for standard HPS lamps or 65 CRI to standard MH lamps.

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GE Lighting Tip

About 90% of all energy emitted by tungsten filaments (including those in halogen lamps) is infrared, or radiant heat. The way to decrease heat from your fixtures is to use lower wattage lamps, or to use compact fluorescent bulbs.

The common types and colors of fluorescent lamps radiate an estimated 30% of their energy in the infrared range -"principally far infrared (wavelengths beyond 5000 nm)". More information is included in "The IESNA Lighting Handbook" by the Illuminating Engineering Society.

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GE Lighting Quiz

Light meters can be purchased through any local lighting distributor. We currently make model 217 (21475). This model can measure from 10-1000 footcandles, and carries a 1-year warranty.

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Sources: Interview with John Snider-Maintenance and Facilities Manager GE Oakville Plant and Electrical Business Article-May 2006 Edition

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