1. Energy Savings:
In today's market, energy cost savings are probably the number one reason for business owners and facility managers to consider upgrading from inefficent HID type lighting. High intensity discharge fixtures were the fixtures of choice for more than 30 years and still continue to be installed in new construction because architects, specifiers, and end users have either not been aware of the long term costs associated with metal halide fixtures or simply did not care by focussing only on the initial fixture costs. A typical retrofit project replacing existing HID fixtures with energy-efficient UltraLux™ high bay fixtures will pay for itself in under 2 years leading to significant long term savings for the company. A simple energy analysis comparing existing lighting to the proposed lighting can be done showing the net positive cash flow expected over set time periods. View Sample Analysis

2. Improved Lighting Quality:
Workplace lighting is the least expensive and most important component influencing work place performance. This fact has been documented in numerous studies conducted by colleges and universities, private industry and federal governments around the globe. Numerous case histories illustrate dramatic increases in worker productivity when lighting is improved and equally dramatic worker productivity drop offs when lighting is downgraded. High workplace productivity is essential for the survival of just about every business and leads to an increased competitive edge and long term financial stability for the firm involved. UltraLux™ high bay fixtures combined with BlueMax Technology™ lamps feature the highest color rendering of any fixture on the market with a natural 5000 kelvin color temperature. BlueMax™ lamps with their enhanced scotopic qualities have been shown to increase contrast recognition leading to lower error rates, increased safety and improved energy levels in a work environment.

3. Improved Lumen Maintenance:
The Achilles heel of HID lighting is its poor lumen maintenance. The amount of light output produced by an HID lamp decreases dramatically with age. Standard metal halide lamps lose on average 55% of their lumen output by the time they reach their "rated lamp life". It is not uncommon to find HID lamps still operating well beyond their rated life producing only 15-25% of their original lumens. The newer style pulse-start lamps fair a little better by retaining around 57% of their lumens at end of lamp life. Regardless of how dim the HID lamps get over time they will still use the same amount of electricity as when they were new. If a building owner were to request a set level of light at the work plane he will only get that light level for the first few thousand hours of operation, after which time the facility will be perpetually underlit, and usually the lamp depreciation will go unnoticed until long after the lighting contractor is gone. Compare this lumen loss to BlueMax™ fluorescent T5 tubes that retain up to 90% of their light output over their rated life of 35,000 hours. View Chart

4. Increased Light Output:
UltraLux™ 4-lamp high bay fixtures will produce approximately 20% more light output than a 400 watt metal halide fixture while consuming only 45% of the power. This is largely because of the improved fixture efficiency that can be achieved with UltraLux™ fixtures and linear tubes. In a standard bell shaped metal halide fixture only 70% of the light produced by the bulb escapes the fixture with the rest being trapped and lost inside of the fixture itself. UltraLux™ high bay fixtures feature a specular aluminum Miro-4 reflector finish that creates a fixture efficiency of 98% meaning almost all of the light produced by the bulbs leaves the fixture to provide illumination at the work plane. View Chart

5. Reduced Glare:
Glare is caused when a light source is against a dark surround. HID fixture design creates the ideal environment for glare because they are point sources of light against a darker ceiling with very little horizontal illumination. Glare can be calculated as the ratio of vertical illuminance to horizontal illuminance. With the bell shape design of metal halide fixtures almost all light output is vertical illuminance. In contrast UltraLux™ uses a parabolic reflector design providing for an equal amount of horizontal and vertical illuminance. Glare is not a result of too much light. An HID light system that provides 50 foot-candles of light at the work surface may produce two to three times more glare than a fluorescent high bay system producing 100 foot-candles at the work surface. Glare from poorly designed lighting systems often cause employee eye fatigue and headaches lowering productivity. View Distribution Comparison

6. Instant Re-Strike:
All HID bulbs when shut off must cool in order to be restarted. This time is typically a minimum of 10-15 minutes making it difficult, if not impossible, to use occupancy sensors or even simply change a burnt out bulb quickly. Fluorescent fixtures offer instant re-striking with no waiting for the lamps to re-start and can easily accomodate occupancy or daylight sensors.

7. No Stroboscopic Effect:
The arc in HID lamps operate on a 60Hz system meaning that the light output is modulated at 60 times per second. This rapid variation in light output creates what is known as stroboscopic effect. Because of the stroboscopic effect an object, such as a drill or grinding wheel, that is moving at a uniform speed may appear to move in jerks, standing still, or even moving in the opposite direction creating additional safety concerns. UltraLux™ fixtures operate on a 20,000Hz plus system by employing electronic ballasts removing any possibility of stroboscopic effects and their consequences.

8. Reduced UV Emissions and Fire Risks:
All HID bulbs produce a considerable amount of UV-A and some UV-B. The higher mounting heights help to mitigate its effects but UV emissions are still striking the surface of objects and employees. There have been instances where a cracked bulb has resulted in UV emissions great enough to sunburn large quantities of people at sporting events. HID arc tube ruptures have been known to cause fires in warehouses and industrial applications. The National Electrical Manufacturing Association (NEMA) recommends that HID lights be switched off for 15-minute periods because the periodic cycling of the lamp, and the subsequent cooling and heating of the arc tube, allows for cracks to propogate while the internal arc tube pressure is low preventing a violent failure and fire (the bulb will burst during start up). In addition NEMA advise customers not to store flammable, combustible, or oxidizing materials beneath any HID luminaire. UltraLux™ fluorescent fixtures do not carry either of these risks by not producing UV or having a high pressure arc tube that can burst.

9. Maintenance Savings:
In the long term, BlueMax™ fluorescent lamps and ballasts on average will outlast HID's by at least 75% and are considerably cheaper to replace. One large drawback of HID systems is that they must be turned off to replace the bulb resulting in maintenance having to work after hours or alternatively shut down a whole circuit of lighting to simply replace a bulb. Fluorescent bulbs are often replaced with the power still on and there is no waiting for the fixtures to restart due to the instant re-strike.

10. Tax Savings:
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 signed in August of 2005 created tax incentives designed to encourage business owners to improve energy efficiency of new and existing buildings. An accelerated tax deduction is now available for lighting systems that meet energy efficiency standards by calculating the power density (watts/sq. ft.) of a facility. Under the act, the facility owner or renter can write off up to $0.60 per square foot of facility using energy-efficient lighting in the same year as the lighting was installed. This is a dramatic improvement over prior treatment which required lighting system costs to be depreciated over the life of the building which was typically 37.5 years. The Act is effective for new and retrofit installations after January 1, 2006 and before December 31, 2008. For more information visit www.efficientbuildings.org