LED lighting retrofit projects at two Applebee's locations in New York City, on 42nd Street and Broadway, yielded an average kWh light load reduction of more 80 percent per location. Since the projects were so successful, Apple-Metro plans to make the same changes at all of the 31 locations in New York. Six locations scheduled to open next year will also feature the new LED technology.
Mike Berry, Director of Construction and Facilities of Apple-Metro, says reduced energy consumption is always part of the operational plan, but the timing and availability of new LED lamp technology helped the company recently make the switch, along with lower LED pricing and utility rebates that could deliver a "strong return on investment."
The retrofits, conducted by Whitehead & Associates, replaced more than 200 track and recessed incandescent fixtures with JANMAR Series 799LED, Series 739LED and Series 214LED as well as CREE LR 24 and CREE LRP 38 lamps. In addition, the exterior canopy fixtures illuminate the entrance with Dialight's 150W LED High Bay lights.
The JANMAR and CREE LED products also generate much lower heat output and are expected to save on air conditioning costs, says Applebee's. In addition, the new LED lamps will also allow for fewer maintenance issues due to their much longer service life, which are designed for a 50,000-hour lifetime.
Lighting retrofits are helping many restaurants cut their energy costs. As an example, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers replaced approximately 12,000 standard incandescent and halogen lights in more than 150 Red Robin restaurants in the U.S. with energy-efficient 7-watt GE light emitting diode (LED) PAR 20 flood and spot lights. The LED retrofit saves the restaurant chain approximately $120,000 on lighting bills annually.