Energy Efficient Lighting for Dealerships and Large Parking Lots

Most Dealerships Use Expensive 1000 Watt Metal Halide..

The very first time I drove to see our operations in Clarksville Tennessee I can remember rolling into town late at night. I was absolutely amazed at the number of large dealerships on the main strip, all lit up like a Christmas tree.....all with Metal Halide.

Dealership Looks Great With 1000 Watt Metal Halide, But What About Other Options?

Most suppliers will tell you that there are no other options.  That's what our suppliers kept telling us.  We weren't willing to settle for that, so we did some research.  We went to work online and found the inductive fluorescent technology.

We felt that because of the CRI values and Kelvin temperature of the inductive fluorescent, we could replace the lighting quality and reduce energy consumption by 75%. 

We needed a place to test our theory and Jeff Crippen, of Crippen Buick GMC Volvo Mazda in Lansing, MI decided to see if we were right.  By our calculations, his 1000 Watt Metal Halide energy consumption was a significant chunk of his energy bill. 

1000 Watt Metal Halide vs 250 Watt Inductive Fluorescent: Testing Our Theory

Owners take a lot of pride in the appearance of there facility and inventory, and rightly so. Many of them are family owned and have been built over generations. The appearance of the inventory is key in people buying vehicles.

Many dealerships have 1000 watt metal halide lighting to be able to properly light up those large areas. Not only for people to be able to browse their inventory at night....but also to deter theft or vandalism.

In order to test lighting quality of the inductive fluorescents, we put up 4 of the fixtures on a pole that was in line of sight with 4 1000 Watt Metal Halides. 

Who Won, 1000 Watt Metal Halide or 250 Watt Inductive?

Let's just say that the night that we went to compare the lights, Mr. Crippen ordered the other 34 fixtures to replace ALL of the existing 1000 Watt Metal Halide.  You can see the difference in this picture that was taken on the night of the test (4 very bright fixtures in front, 4 1000 Watt Metal Halide in the background. 

Beyond a 75% reduction in energy consumption, the inductive fixtures have many other benefits including reducing maintenance costs.  The inductive fluorescent have a 100,000 hour life expectancy, which means 20-25 years for most applications. This reduces the number of bulbs and ballasts that have to be replaced which can be very expensive. 

Interested In How Much You Could Save?  $100,000...$250,0000 or even $750,000+

Yes, if you own 100 - 1000 Watt Metal Halides, you could save over $750,000 over the lifetime of a new inductive fluorescent fixture.  Still not sure.....check out this worksheet that we created.....showing the difference between 1000W to 250W.  Find your number of fixtures and see your lifetime savings, kWh reduction and a sample of different utility rebate programs. 

***It should be noted that the rebates are based on our local municipalities here in Michigan. These programs are constantly changing and also vary state to state. Take a look at this site...it lists ALL Utility rebate programs by State.

Interested in Energy Efficient Lighting?

Learn more about energy efficiency and the benefits that energy efficient lighting can have on your business.  We created a special e-book to teach business owners about energy efficiency strategies for their business.   Click the button below....or Contact us in the comments section and let Hovey Electric show you the benefits and savings of energy efficient lighting.