Making Buildings Better
TM
COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL ENERGY CONSULTING
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO
(505) 918-8476
5
Parking
and
Transportation
PARKING LOT ILLUMINATION
Although many people are driving electric, hybrid and other alternate energy vehicles, many building owners don’t think of their parking lots as an opportunity for energy savings. But the cost of illuminating a parking lot alone can be quite expensive. By simply switching the lighting to LEDs, a generous energy and financial savings can be realized. LED parking lot and street lamps can even be coupled with solar collectors as seen above, compounding the savings.
If the building has carports, installing solar panels can offset, then eventually completely pay for, the cost of lighting the lot and parking spaces. There are other options for placing solar collectors in a parking lot as well.
LEDs are now frequently being used as replacements for metal halide lamps in outdoor applications. This means substantial savings on energy costs. A 400 watt metal halide lamp can be replaced with a 120 watt LED for an equal and significantly better quality of light. LED bulbs have a much longer lifespan, meaning this transition will have a large impact on maintenance expenses.
Upgrading the quality of lighting in a parking lot can create a safer night-time situation while saving money on energy costs at the same time.
Both LED and solar lighting are not only better environmentally but both kinds of lighting need substantially less maintenance than other kinds of lighting for parking lots and streets.
QUALITY OF LIGHT COMPARISON
LEDs are now frequently being used as replacements for metal halide lamps in outdoor applications. This means substantial savings on energy costs. A 400 watt metal halide lamp can be replaced with a 120 watt LED for an equal and significantly better quality of light. LED bulbs have a much longer lifespan, meaning this transition will have a large impact on maintenance expenses. In addition to all of the obvious benefits, LEDs maintain their light intensity output by 2X, 5X and as much as 10X more than the other products listed, which all lose lumens over their lifespan.
T5 HO FLUORESCENT vs. LED:
HIGH PRESSURE SODIUM vs. METAL HALIDE vs. LED:
ABOUT LEDs and WHY THEY ARE SO MUCH BETTER
A Light Emitting Diode (LED) is a type of solid-state lighting that uses a semi-conductor to convert electricity into light. LEDs can reduce energy costs by 80% over incandescent lighting. An LED bulb has a life of three years if run 24 hours a day, seven days a week. With a life of 25,000+ hours, they work 25 times longer than traditional light bulbs.
LEDs use energy far more efficiently with very little wasted heat. In comparison, old-fashioned bulbs release up to 90 percent of their energy as heat. Not an energy-efficient method as you then must mitigate that heat.
LEDs are quite versatile in the ways they can be used as well. From traffic lights and vehicle lights to TVs and display cases, LEDs have many unique characteristics including compact size, ease of maintenance, resistance to breakage and the ability to pinpoint the light in a single direction.
LEDs contain no mercury, another huge advantage over compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). LED technology has been steadily improving since its introduction and will continue to improve in the years to come.
LEDs were invented in 1962 by Nick Holonyak, Jr. when he was working for GE. By 2011, global sales of 60 watt equivalent LED bulbs alone increased by 22 percent while the cost of 60 watt equivalent bulbs of other sorts declined by 40 percent.
In 2012, close to 49 million LEDs were installed in the United States, saving about $675 million in annual energy costs. This reduces energy consumption by nearly 50 percent thereby avoiding 1,800 million metric tons of carbon emmissions. By 2030, it is estimated that LEDs will account for 75% of all bulb sales.
Almost every energy-saving protocol we practice can be retro-commissioned into an existing building by ECOterra Energy Consulting, drastically improving the building’s performance, savings, comfort and aesthetics.
Here are the areas ECOterra Energy analyzes for potential savings:
(Click a subject below to read or read them in order by clicking the arrow above right.)
Read more about ECOterra Energy Consulting:
OUR MISSION
ECOterra Energy Consulting has a mission that springs from the basic premise of EFFICIENCY.
WHAT WE DO
We created ECOterra Energy Consulting to provide building owners peace-of-mind in an ever-changing energy environment.
Our approach is unique in that we represent the building owner. We present, consult and sell energy-saving options.
RENEWABLES
Energy-efficiency and renewable materials are the cornerstone of ECOterra Energy Consulting’s philosophy.
We embrace cutting-edge technologies to better serve clients whether it is providing energy conservation or generation.
CASE STUDIES
Click below to read about how ECOterra Energy Consulting implemented state-of-the-art energy technologies to maximize energy savings and efficiencies for these New Mexico businesses.