Schlosser Signs retrofitted the signs at the Fort Collins, Colo., Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, converting the existing neon signage to LED, and the project is saving the restaurant $1,800 per year in energy usage.
Schlosser Signs has added a new energy efficiency service division to evaluate the energy efficiency of customers’ existing lighting and signage and replace inefficient lighting with energy-saving LEDs and other lighting technology to save money in energy costs. Schlosser Signs, which serves northern Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska, says its new service team also helps customers take advantage of regional rebate and incentive programs through local utility companies, which help to offset the initial cost of the retrofit.
LEDs used to replace existing light sources are powered by just 12 volts, compared to traditional neon or fluorescent fixtures, which typically use between 120- and 15,000 volts. An LED sign uses up to 40 percent less energy than other electronic signage. Retrofitting a neon sign can lead to a 75 percent reduction in energy costs, according to Schlosser.
While the initial cost of LEDs is more than the cost of older technologies, the differential is recouped by the savings in electricity use over the lifespan of the fixture and the reduced level of maintenance required. Traditional bulbs have a life span of about 20,000 hours, or about two and a half years. An LED, however, has a lifespan of 60,000 to 100,000 hours, or about 7 to 12 years. Because LEDs last longer, there are significant savings realized from less maintenance. This becomes especially important for places like parking lots, where changing burnt-out bulbs on tall pole lights can be a time-consuming and dangerous task.
A car dealership can light its entire lot with LEDs, display its merchandise under a more flattering spectrum, and save money on energy costs.
For example, Lexus of South Atlanta switched its outdoor lighting to an LED system, using GE Evolve LED Area Lights, and cut it energy costs $49,000 a year for the life of the new system.