5 Reasons Why You Will Fall In Love With Fluorescent T5 Lighting
Here's Why You Will Fall In Love Fluorescent T5 Technology...
1. Fewer Watts Per Fixture
T-5 Ballast and bulbs are a better combination all around but one of the greatest benefits is the reduction in wattage required to light these up compared to a T12 fixture. The difference in savings will depend on which type of fixture. We have used fixtures with wattage ratings of 190 watts.
2. Better Light Quality
Lumen maintenance (Brightness) in the newer fluorescent bulb is much higher than it has been in the past. Many of the bulbs today lose less than 20% of their light output over the life of the bulb. But, the life of the bulb is much higher than in the past.
3. Better Bulb Life = Less Maintenance
A typical T12 bulb is rated for 18,000 hours of life expectancy. There are many options in T-5 which have expected life ranging from 30,000 to 42,000 hours. By extending the life of the bulb, you can expect less maintenance since you will not have to replace the bulbs.
Many people do not consider the replacement of the bulb as a cost. But if you have an employee doing this for you, there is a cost....you just haven't tracked it yet!
4. Does Color Temperature Warm Your Heart?
You may recognize some numbers like 4100k, 5000k, 5500k, 6500k. Have you seen those numbers on any packaging? This indicates the color temperature of the bulb. This can have a significant impact on how bright your facility actually is.
The closer you get to 6000, the closer you are to the actual Kelvin temperature range of a mid-day sunny afternoon. While the 4100k bulbs may appear warmer, a 5500k bulb in contrast will appear cooler. The higher the k value, the brighter the light.
5. Reduce Fixture Count, Less To Love...
The Project
We installed new lighting for the Crippen GMC-Buick-Mazda-Volvo Auto dealership in Lansing Michigan. In the Paint area, they had 56 T-12 HO existing fixtures. We measured the footcandles (fc) in the area and were right around 30fc. We engineered a new photometric layout of the area and found that we could replace the 56 fixtures with 16 T-5 High Bay Fixtures. We estimated an increase of 20fc for a total fc
The Result
We were able to replace all 56 T-12 HO fixtures with 16 T-5 High Bay Fixtures manufactured by Everlast, from Jackson, MI. In the application, we were able to raise the footcandle values from 30 fc to 60 fc.
The 3 Advantages We Were Able To Explore Using T-5
- We used a lower wattage fixtures
- We reduced the number of fixtures
- By using higher kelvin and CRI, we were able to increase brightness
We Love Our Customers....
Fluorescent T5 technology is just one aspect of energy efficient lighting you may consider for your facility. Determining the right application requires a careful analysis of your existing lighting, lighting applications and energy efficiency goals.
Learn more about how energy efficiency can impact your bottom line with our eBook: Business Owners Guide To Energy Efficiency - Lighting Solutions. Download it today, for FREE...You Will "Love" It, I promise!