If your business operates with cold-storage facilities, you know the importance of maintaining an absolute temperature; however, did you know that lighting can be a source of generated heat? This extra energy can cost you more money than you may realize.
There are many types of lighting: incandescent, fluorescent, neon, and more. These lighting sources all use energy and release some amount of heat. Relumination can design a lighting system that does not generate this excessive heat.
Incandescent lighting is an old technology. It works by passing an electrical current through a resistive wire. As the electricity moves through this wire, energy is released in the form of light and heat. These lighting systems generate the most heat and require the most energy.
Fluorescent lights utilize a special tube that contains a partial vacuum. There is no air in these tubes, but mercury is in them. A ballast provides a high voltage through these tubes that excites the mercury. A fluorescent powder coats the inside of the tube and converts the UV radiation into visible light. The tubes themselves do not release much excessive heat energy, but the ballasts can be problematic with these systems. A ballast can release as much as 10% of input power as heat, depending on its efficiency.
If your ballast releases 10 watts of heat in an hour, this could mean a potential increase of 39 degrees Fahrenheit for a 45 cubic foot volume. This much heat being released continuously requires your refrigeration system to cycle on and off, meaning more cooling costs.
Neon systems are like fluorescent systems but require much higher voltages and can be even less efficient.
LED lighting systems are different. They still produce heat, but they don’t produce the infrared energy like incandescent bulbs; furthermore, an LED system uses less energy than fluorescent lighting by using lower voltages and currents, reducing excessive heat output. LEDs also last longer than fluorescent lights. This saves you on costs for the replacement of ballasts or tubes.
Lighting is vital for any business. It allows customers to see products clearly, gives employees a safe working environment, and lets companies move smoothly.
If your business can benefit from Relumination’s lighting services, please contact us for more information on how we can serve your needs.
