Retrofit lighting represents a smart, affordable way for businesses to make substantial energy cost savings and improve their workspaces without incurring the expense and disruption of major renovations. Retrofitting involves the replacement of outdated fixtures with efficient LEDs and smart controls that provide quick returns on investment. It is possible for businesses to save as much as 75% on their lighting bills while simultaneously improving their sustainability.
What Is Retrofit Lighting?
Retrofit lighting is the modification of existing fixtures, instead of the replacement of entire systems. It entails exchanging fluorescent tubes or high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps – also known as incandescent lamps – for LED kits and installing sensors or dimmers that can work within the current structures. This can also often be done in-situ. Not only does retrofit reduce the huge disruption caused by extensive rewiring, but it also reduces waste, which makes it ideal for commercial spaces. Upgrades can be completed in a few days rather than weeks, allowing routine operations to continue uninterrupted.
Key Benefits for Businesses
Perhaps the biggest and most obvious benefit is the reduced energy consumption. LEDs use up to 75% less power than traditional lights. For example, in a 20,000 sq ft facility with 50 fixtures running 12 hours every day, the annual savings could be as much as £5,000, based on typical tariffs and a 60% reduction in consumption. The cost of maintenance could drop by 80%, since LEDs generally last 50,000 hours compared to HID lamps’ 15,000-hour lifespan.
Better light quality is good for both productivity and safety. LEDs provide consistent, adjustable colour temperatures that can reduce the likelihood of eye strain and human error in factories or offices. As a result, production quality improves, and employee comfort increases.
Cost Savings and ROI
Businesses are sometimes understandably reluctant to spend money on new systems. The investment costs of retrofitting are low and the benefits substantial. LED conversion kits cost less than full replacements and pay for themselves in less than two years. A 75,000 sq ft office could save as much as £16,000 a year on a current lighting bill of £26,000. Grants are available, like low-carbon retrofit schemes for energy-efficient equipment, which could include heat pumps, solar panels and upgraded lighting. Environmental benefits include cuts in CO2 emissions equivalent to taking dozens of cars off the road.
Each traditional lighting fixture burns through 1,314 kWh in a year with 12 hours of daily use. LED retrofits bring consumption down to 526 kWh, and their longer lifespans can yield a further £3,500 in annual savings for 50 fixtures, with the investment costs covered within two years.
Smart Features to Add
Motion and daylight sensors automatically dim the lights in sunny rooms or switch off when they’re empty, and wireless controls eliminate the need for disruptive rewiring.
Immediate Benefits
To retrofit your lighting efficiently, start with our free site audit to assess your current usage and needs. Retrofit lighting delivers immediate benefits: lower bills, happier staff and greener credentials.
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