Energy Management Collaborative (EMC) has done 185 projects as part of the Northern Illinois utility ComEd’s Smart Ideas energy savings initiative. EMC’s projects are now delivering more than 14 million kWh of annual energy savings and impact over 2 million square feet of facility space, according to the company.
For example, EMC implemented an aggressive plan to retrofit store lighting in more than 800 Best Buy locations nationwide, including 37 Illinois stores. Overall, the newer, more energy efficient technology cut the consumer electronics retailer’s lighting emissions by 48 percent.
The lighting conversion transitioned stores from high wattage, high-bay metal halide fixtures to lower wattage, fluorescent high-bay fixtures. In addition to significantly reducing current energy usage and cost, the combination of technology choice and design changes leaves the retailer well positioned for a future LED conversion.