Here’s what you can do to lower your operating costs

• Replace the magnetic ballasts with electronic. Electronic use less internal energy ( they run about 105 degrees Fahrenheit, vs. 155 for the magnetic). They operate at 20,000 cycles per second, vs. 60 cycles for the magnetic; therefore, the electrons are blasting the mercury molecules that much more often, resulting in more light generated per watt. They come in more sizes (1 to 4 lamps) and in standard, low power and high power outputs.

Because magnetic ballasts are less efficient, by Federal mandate, they will not be available for replacements in a few years.

Electronic ballasts are warranted for 5 years, expected to last 60,000 hours, are Quieter than magnetic ballasts, and are readily available at user supply houses.

• Replace the T12 lamps (1 ½ inch diameter) with the new, more efficient T8 lamps (one inch in diameter). All T8 lamps are made with 3 different phosphors, vs. one for T12 lamps, which gives them a better color February 22, 2007 9:21 PMng rating; standard T8’s have 78%, and the premium T8’s are rated 85%. T12’s typically lose 30% to 40% of their light output over their lifetime, while T8’s lose only 7% to 10%.

T8 lamps are available at user supply houses.

• De-lamp with reflectors. Reflectors are specular (mirror-like) or white powder –coated enamel metal sheets, formed with bends to reflect the light out of the fixture onto the working surfaces. The bends are computer-engineered to maximize the light output, so that the light exits after no more than two bounces, resulting in up to a 50% increase in the fixture’s efficacy.

With reflectors, plus the more efficient lamps and ballasts, a 4-lamp fixture can be retrofitted to 2 lamps, and some 2 lamp fixtures can be retrofitted to one lamp.

• Replace your shop/warehouse Metal Halide fixtures (the round ones) with new Fluorescent fixtures. The fluorescents operate at ½ the wattage, hold their light levels better (Metal Halides lose nearly one-half their light output during their life), last longer (Metal Halides are rated to last 12,000 hours), are easier and less expensive to replace, and can be turned on-and-off instantly. We see a lot of the big box retailers here in Denver replacing these lately (Sam’s at I-25 and Thornton Parkway, Albertson’s at 104 th and Colorado, and Home Depot at US 36 and McCaslin).
• Change out your incandescent lamps to compact fluorescents. These are one-fourth the Wattage, and last 10 times as long.
• Change out your exit lights to LED’s. This changes a 24 hour 30 or 40 watt fixture to 3 Watts, and the LED’s will probably last 10 to 15 years. Some customers also ask us to convert their fluorescent exit lights to LED’s, as the fluorescents usually last only a year