You’d have to have been living under a rock to not realize that lighting has changed dramatically in the past decade. As LEDs have become both a) more efficient and b) more affordable, buildings of every sort have started to replacing fluorescent light fixtures with LED alternatives. This often happens throughout the property, inside and out.

The wonderful thing is that it’s not one particular type of building leading the charge toward energy efficiency. No single industry is spearheading the initiative to switch to LEDs. It’s not just manufacturers trying to sell their new lighting wares to the public. In truth, it’s the public that is requesting — and often demanding — better lighting in order to cut back on energy consumption and protect our lives on this planet.

At NES Lighting Distributors, we’re all about energy efficiency and how the lighting we install can reduce a building’s carbon footprint. In fact, we’ve retrofitted more than 20 million square feet of space with new forms of lighting, doing what we can to save money and the planet. Today we’re going to talk about some of the most common types of buildings we retrofit as LED lighting distributors.

Businesses

Businesses are all about making money, but they’re also about saving money. A business that’s still using standard fluorescent bulbs is simply throwing money away with every energy bill. They’re also wasting quite a bit of money on maintenance, as fluorescent tubes burn out faster than LEDs and take considerably more man-hours to replace. On top of that, the long life of LEDs simply means that they cost less over the course of their lives, despite (and because of) their advanced technology. 

Building Owners

When building owners are looking for a way to entice tenants to sign a lease, renovations are often one of the most common tactics they use. Fixing up spaces in the building — whether it’s common spaces such as lobbies or work areas — can make a particular building more enticing for companies who are interested in relocating.

During these renovations, building owners will often invest in LED retrofits from existing fluorescent bulbs. This might sound strange at first — tenants usually pay for their own utilities, so why would the building owner care how much they spend on electricity for their lighting? It all comes down to marketing. If a building owner can tell the potential tenant that these new lighting fixtures will end up saving them money, the tenant is more likely to sign the lease. 

More efficient lighting can also be a bragging point for the building itself and any tenants who work there, which is evident if you’ve ever seen LEED signs in buildings touting the energy efficiency of the space. It’s simply good PR for the owner of the building and the tenant to be able to brag about the energy efficiency of the property.

Museums

There are few buildings more concerned with the quality of their lighting than museums. It only makes sense, considering that the items in museums are meant to be viewed under ideal lighting conditions. Museums are, of course, also interested in how lighting will, or will not, affect the degradation of the art pieces over time.

There’s no such thing as a “standard†or “normal†museum, and therefore there’s no standard or normal lighting layout. Museums will often have fully lighted areas close to closed-off exhibits, making lighting a particular challenge. The type of exhibits also has to be considered carefully, since lighting will play differently on metal than it does on wood. Helping museums get the LED lights that are right for the particular space can be a daunting task, but it’s one that NES Lighting Distributors is up to. 

Municipal Buildings

Municipal buildings often present challenges due to the building itself. A city might remodel an existing building into a municipal building, often using an old school or other building that holds historical significance. The city wants to make the “new†building look as nice as possible, because it is, in some ways, representing the city itself. This can be quite challenging because of the age of the building and the lighting that we’re replacing.

Buildings like these are also meant to be flagships of the city’s energy-saving programs, a way to say “look how much energy we’re saving, our citizens should strive to do so as well.†LED retrofits in these buildings often require the absolute highest level of efficiency so that the building uses as little electricity as possible. 

Schools

Schools seldom have the budget that a private business or municipal building does, but they still need to be retrofitted in the most efficient way possible. Sometimes a fluorescent to LED retrofit is part of an existing renovation, while other times it’s due to the cost-savings a lighting audit service suggests. After all, school budgets are often very limited, which means making the most of energy savings in a building. Depending on the efficiency of previous lights in the buildings — which were often very inefficient — new LED lights in schools can pay for themselves in a surprisingly short amount of time. Not only that, but the time that custodial staff has to spend replacing the bulbs can also be greatly reduced. 

Better bulbs can also give the kids a better learning experience. The color temperature change that accompanies new LED retrofits can make kids feel more comfortable in classrooms, thanks to the more natural “outdoor-like†lighting. Subconsciously, kids will feel that their school really matters when longer-lasting LED bulbs are installed; burned our fluorescent bulbs just give kids a sense that the building is uncared for. Read more about some of the schools we’ve helped right here.

NES Is Ready To Be Your Commercial Lighting Distributor

No matter what kind of building you need new lights for, NES Lighting Distributors is ready to help you get the perfect fixtures that will match the style and energy needs you require. We’ll find you the cost-savings you’re looking for and help you take advantage of any regional rebate incentives that you might be eligible to get. Contact us today to ask questions or to the get process of a lighting audit started!