COMBINING ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND QUALITY DESIGN
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demonstrating lighting
A kno w how ™ CASE STUDY
UGGED
B EAR
A new lighting installation at the Rugged Bear in Beverly, MA, has transformed the store’s image and its wares. Previously, the densely displayed children’s clothing had little impact, particularly in winter when darker colors are common. But now a refined, modern lighting system brightly reveals textures in fabrics and flatters all colors of merchandise. The cleaner line of the ceiling improves the store’s overall appearance and facilitates shopping. In addition, Rugged Bear franchise owners Tom and Linda Greenwood anticipate about $1000 a year in energy savings—effectively increasing the store’s annual sales by 40 cents per square foot!
The new trackheads provide the flexibility to accent different merchandise as displays change seasonally.
Image is everything in retail and it’s important that lighting not betray customer expectations. Though they don’t realize it consciously, customers expect a certain feeling when they visit a strip-mall clothing store: intermediate levels of ambient lighting with some accent lighting to create drama and contrast. Such stores commonly offer fair prices and a helpful sales staff. The local utility, Massachusetts Electric, directed the high-quality lighting design as an example of quality lighting concepts promoted by the DesignLights™ Consortium. In the new design, wellshielded parabolic troffers with T8 lamps and electronic ballasts replace the old, flat-lens T12 fixtures. The new fixtures provide more light on the product, much better color rendition, and energy efficiency, and do so with less glare. Track lighting on the perimeter wall was updated as well, to more effectively accent featured racks and wall displays.
The clean white light makes bright colors striking and is powerful enough to provide high contrast even on dark-colored fabrics.
Rugged Bear displays children’s clothing and accessories on racks, shelving, and walls, and the often-dark colors of the merchandise and dark green carpeting absorb lots of light.
PROBLEMS OVERCOME Previously, the four-lamp T12 acrylic-lens troffers generated a lot of light, but dirt on the lenses and degradation of the old fixtures resulted in poor efficiency and less light on the merchandise. The glowing luminaire lenses exacerbated the overall dingy feel of the lighting. Because they were the brightest objects in view, they distracted customers’ focus away from the merchandise. It’s extremely difficult to differentiate or match dark colors, and under cool-white lamps (with a color rendering index of only 65 out of 100) it’s practically impossible. Bright red or yellow clothing, and warm-colored pastels, would often look dull, very different from their appearance under daylight or incandescent lighting at home. Customers’ decision-making was actually hampered by the old lighting. Finally, the original track light fixtures were sorely outdated. Incandescent R-lamps do not produce light or focus light as efficiently as modern halogen PAR-lamps. The 65W R30 incandescent flood lamp used in these fixtures is so inefficient that the federal government actually outlawed its manufacture in 1995. demonstrating retail lighting knowhow™
COMBINING Higher levels of light and improved color rendering enhance the appearance of crowded merchandise, and encourage purchases.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND QUALITY DESIGN
The lighting punch delivered by today’s PAR38s creates good visual contrast, making featured displays truly stand out.
LIGHTING QUALITY
QUALITY LIGHTING SOLUTION
The Small Retail Lighting knowhow™ Series guide, developed by the DesignLights™ Consortium, outlines several criteria for energy-effective retail lighting. These are closely followed at Rugged Bear. Ambient light sources direct light downward and are shielded to create emphasis on the merchandise. Accent lighting is located at the perimeter, close to featured displays. Most important, however, the lighting establishes the proper image of an intermediate-scale clothing retailer. Higher levels of light and improved color rendering enhance the appearance of crowded merchandise, and encourage purchases. The new lighting system provides all these benefits at the lowest lifecycle cost because it saves energy.
QUALITY INDICATORS
RATING ACCEPTABLE
GOOD
Color Rendering and Color Temperature
✓
Contrast / Highlight / Accent
✓ ✓
Control of Direct and Reflected Glare Image or Style
✓
Modeling of Objects / Shadows
✓
Visual Priority / Organizaton
✓
Quantity of Light on Horizontal Surfaces (fc)
✓
Aiming Flexibility of Accent Lighting
✓
Visual Interest Provided
✓ ✓
Use of Energy Efficient Technologies Uniformity of Light Distribution
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EXCELLENT
✓
The owners wanted to minimize disruption to the store’s sales during replacement of the old lighting. To avoid significant above-the-ceiling work, a one-for-one fixture replacement strategy was adopted. An additional five light fixtures were added in areas of the store where existing columns created shadows. A total of 53 threelamp, 18-cell parabolic luminaires equipped with low power ballasts are laid out on 8-foot by 8-foot centers. Good color rendering is achieved with the 85 CRI T8 fluorescent lamps. Low-power ballasts under-drive lamps, so the lamps deliver less than their rated lumens. However energy savings are significant: 16 fewer watts per three-lamp system. In addition, this three-lamp fixture qualifies for utility rebates, which was an important concern to the owners, who are contemplating a store expansion. Shielding provided by the 3 inch-deep parabolic louvers greatly improved the look of the space, creating a cleaner uncluttered ceiling. The lowbrightness fixtures are unobtrusive, yet direct light downward onto the merchandise. New 60W PAR 38 spotlights mounted on new track heads feature higher light output per watt of energy consumed. They operate at almost 50 percent higher efficiency than the old incandescent lamps—and just as important to reducing maintenance cost for the store, may last twice as long as the foreign manufactured R-lamps stocked by the store. The lighting punch delivered by current PAR38s creates good visual contrast, making featured displays truly stand out. Advanced halogen technology means whiter light with better color rendering qualities, plus longer life for reduced maintenance.
COMBINING ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND QUALITY DESIGN
The new fixtures provide more light on the product, much better color rendition, and energy efficiency, and do so with less glare.
IMPRESSIONS
AND NOW
The Greenwoods both expressed their approval of the new lighting. More than anything else, they remarked upon the cleaner look of the parabolic troffers.
THE
NUMBERS
Illumination throughout the store increased approximately 5 to 10 footcandles to reach 55 to 80 footcandles. This level is higher than usually recommended for this type of space, but because track lighting is limited to perimeter locations, higher light levels will definitely enhance visibility. Connected load was reduced from 3.95 watts per square foot down to 2.43, realizing significant energy savings. Massachusetts Electric predicts a reasonable “payback” for the investment in new lighting.
“It’s a much more contemporary look with an attractive appearance,” said Linda Greenwood. “Before, the plastic lenses were discolored and old looking. And we have a lot of outerwear in the back of our store now; it really absorbs a lot of light. The new lighting is much fresher looking.”
“They’ve done a great job here. We’re very happy. It’s more pleasant both for the customers and for salespeople.” Tom and Linda Greenwood, owners
Linda Greenwood could also see the obvious advantages of improved color rendering in presenting merchandise to customers. “It’s more of a daylight-type light. We have a lot of color to our children’s clothing and outerwear. The new lights give a truer picture of the color.” The new trackheads provide the flexibility to accent different merchandise as displays change seasonally. The clean white light makes bright colors striking and is powerful enough to provide high contrast even on dark-colored fabrics. “They will definitely increase the appeal of wall displays,” Linda Greenwood added. The Greenwoods are so pleased with the aesthetic improvement and energy savings of this project that they may soon relight their other Rugged Bear Franchises, in West Lebanon, NH, and South Portland, ME.
COSTS Total fixtures and lamps Total installation labor Installed system cost Materials per square foot Installation labor per square foot Total cost per square foot SAVINGS Demand reduction Watts saved per square foot Annual utility cost savings1
$9,100 $2,160 $11,260 $3.40 $0.81 $4.21
3.5 KW 1.3 W/SF $980
Based on 3,120 hours per year usage and local utility rate of $0.09 per kilowatt-hour.
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demonstrating retail lighting knowhow™
COMBINING ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND QUALITY DESIGN
PROJECT SUMMARY Utility: Utility Representative: Customer: Facility: Location: Space: Area: Ceiling Height: Fixtures Used:
Massachusetts Electric Company Marie Raphael Tom and Linda Greenwood Rugged Bear Clothing Store Beverly, Massachusetts Retail 2,700 square feet 10 feet Lithonia 2PM3N troffers with three 2950 lumen T8 Osram Sylvania lamps and low-power electronic ballast Layout: 2 by 4 foot recessed troffers on 8 by 8 foot spacing Accent Lighting: Halo gimbal ring for PAR38 Halogen spots (Osram/Sylvania’s 60W Capsylite) Light Levels Achieved: 70 footcandles average (horizontal) Lighting Power Density: 2.43 Watts per square foot Lighting Specifier: Weller & Michal Architects Inc. Installing Contractor: NORESCO
THE
LIGHTING KNOWHOW™ SERIES
The DesignLights™ Consortium publishes the knowhow™ Series for office, small retail and classroom lighting. This demonstrating lighting knowhow™ Case Study highlights a specific installation of lighting that showcases quality, comfort and efficient use of energy. With members located throughout the Northeast, the DesignLights™ Consortium is “a regional collaboration seeking to influence naturally occurring lighting events towards quality, comfort and efficiency.” The DLC includes among its members many New England electric utilities as active participants, as well as several other interested stakeholders. The DLC created these case studies with the intention of helping contractors and lighting specialists sell and deliver the benefits of high quality, energy efficient lighting to their customers in the commercial building market. National Grid • Massachusetts Electric • Narragansett Electric • Granite State Electric • Nantucket Electric Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Inc. New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
Northeast Utilities • The Connecticut Light and Power Company • Western Massachusetts Electric Company NStar • Boston Edison Company • Commonwealth Electric Company • Cambridge Electric Light Company United Illuminating Unitil • Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light Company
Prepared by Weller & Michal Architects Inc. with WV Engineering Associates PA. Technical writing by Lois I. Hutchinson. Photography by George Leisey. Graphic Design by Braden Printing, Inc.
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Disclaimer: These studies are provided for information purposes only. Neither the Sponsoring Agents nor any of their employees or sub-contractors makes any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any data, information, method, product or process disclosed in this document, or represents that its use will not infringe any privately owned rights, including, but not limited to, patents, trademarks or copyrights.