Parking lots waste a lot of energy! Most everyone has seen the parking lots of retail businesses at 2 A.M. with no cars in sight and lights on at full power. The U.S. Department of Energy conducted case studies at two retail parking lots, replacing their light fixtures with LEDs. The retrofits have dramatically decreased energy costs while improving both lots’ lighting.
Raley’s Supermarket in West Sacramento, California, replaced half of its parking lot’s 320-watt metal halide fixtures with LEDs. Their LED fixtures came installed with a motion sensor that turns the lights to a lower power after five minutes of inactivity. The LEDs consume 149 watts at full and 52 watts at low power. Much of their savings came from the motion sensor, which was only 55% of the time at full power. The supermarket also saved a substantial amount of money on maintenance fees. According to the report, annual maintenance costs for the metal halide fixtures were $200-$215 per fixture. They were also supposed to last 3-5 years, but the company owner said they were “lucky to get two years.” The LED fixtures are estimated to last 50,000-90,000 hours, which can mean as much as 20 years of maintenance-free lighting. Raley’s Supermarket’s payback period is expected in 3-4 years.
T.J. Maxx in Manchester, New Hampshire, replaced its parking lot’s 400-watt high-pressure sodium fixtures and 400-watt metal halide fixtures with LEDs. These fixtures also came installed with a motion sensor. On top of energy savings, the business also saved $11,000 annually on maintenance for spot relamping. Their expected payback period is in 3 years. A survey was administered to employees of the plaza where T.J. Maxx is located about the new lighting. According to the study, 78.1% of the employees said the new lighting system provided more light than the original system and improved the parking lot’s appearance. Employees also said the new parking lot lighting “helps to increase safety and security within the plaza.” The motion sensors “use less energy, which is better for the environment.”
With both retail businesses seeing their return on investment in as little as three years, LED fixtures are a cost-efficient and sustainable alternative to other fixtures, not to mention they reduce nighttime light pollution. As a member of the International Dark-Sky Association, we actively support reducing light pollution.
