Big Picture - June/July 2019 - 17

In our shop, we want to inspect print color throughout the
process of designing, proofing, printing, and finishing. For this
reason, many years ago, we decided to paint all of our office
walls a neutral gray and install 4000K fluorescent lights. We
were trying to get closer to D50 in our environment to help us
perceive colors better during the production process.
Unfortunately, our printing, warehouse, and finishing areas
used high-bay metal-halide lamps, which don't provide the
color accuracy and range of our office lights. We have recently
ordered 5700K LED lights as a total retrofit for these areas.
We are also retrofitting all of our office 4000K fluorescents
with LEDs in the D50 and D65 range. If you take D50 and D65
and split the difference, you come up with 5750K, which is
what we have chosen for our building lights. (And, as you'll
recall, roughly the temperature of the sun.) In effect, we're
approximating light booth lighting throughout our building for
on-the-fly color monitoring during the production process.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BILL
The magic word is efficiency. What does that mean when it
comes to lighting? A few things. With traditional lighting
technology, the average bulb lasts around 6000 to 15,000
operating hours. We calculated the life of our new LED
high-bay lamps and discovered we would have to purchase six
to eight metal halides to match the lifespan of a single LED.
LEDs can last 50,000 to 100,000 hours or more.
When it comes to pricing, it's important to remember the
cost of the bulb replacement reflects not only the bulbs, but
the associated maintenance cost over time. Most high-bay
lights are 14 to 20 feet in the air, so it isn't a simple matter to
change them out if you don't have a lift on site. With LED's
long life, this issue is less frequent.
Where LEDs really shine (pun intended) is in energy
efficiency. They waste very little energy in the form of infrared
radiation, aka heat. If your lighting system generates a
significant amount of heat, that's bad news for your HVAC all
year long, with the possible exception of winter. And LEDs
emit light directionally: typically 180 degrees vs. 360 degrees
for traditional lighting. This means you can direct the light
where it's most needed.
WHAT ABOUT THE CAPITAL EXPENSE?

With traditional lighting technology, the
average bulb lasts around 6000 to 15,000
operating hours. We calculated the life of
our new LED high-bay lamps and discovered
we would have to purchase six to eight
metal halides to match the lifespan of a
single LED. LEDs can last 50,000 to 100,000
hours or more.
We don't have all the costs figured out for replacing the
office fluorescents - there are 334 of them. Because of the
quantity, we will triage the problem. We'll go after the lamps
that are on regularly, consuming the most electricity, and have
the greatest exposure to print color viewing. We'll work down
from there. This will give us the most initial "bang for our buck."
ADDED PERKS OF LEDS
An indirect expense savings may come from catching color
mistakes early in the process. The most expensive mistake we
can make is to discover errors after all the printing and
finishing is complete.
When it comes to sustainability, it's important to note
fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and petroleum) account for 63
percent of America's electricity generation. Shockingly, about
30 percent of that total is generated by burning coal. By reducing your electrical consumption with LEDs, you're in turn
reducing the burning of fossil fuels. (This is a topic that could
be its own column, so we'll stop there for now.)
So, why should you retrofit your building with LEDs? First,
the quality of the illumination will dramatically improve and
you'll have near "light booth" color throughout your facility.
This will help you catch color faux pas throughout the
production process.
Second, you can reduce your operating expenses through
reduction of your monthly electricity bill - not only from the
energy savings from more efficient lighting, but also from
reducing HVAC costs during the warmer months. Plus, your
maintenance expenses for replacing lights will be reduced
significantly over time.
Finally, if you care about such things (which my wife and
co-founder, Sue, and I do) you can have that warm, fuzzy
feeling that comes from knowing you're doing your part to
take care of our planet. 'Nuff said.

BIGPICTURE.NET

Earning back the initial cost of retrofitting your building can
happen surprisingly fast. Whether you own or lease, typically
you are the one responsible for your energy expenses. The
upfront cost of new bulbs can pay for itself rather quickly.
In our print room and finishing area, we have 28, 400-watt
metal-halide lamps we're in the process of replacing with
120-watt LEDs. The new lamps will give off the equivalent
amount of illumination in terms of brightness, but there's no
comparison to the improved quality of the light. Right now,
with all the lights on, we're burning 11,200 watts. With our
completed retrofit to LEDs, we'll be burning 3360 watts.
That's a savings of 7840 watts or 70 percent. The savings on
your power bill will be contingent on the cost per kilowatt in
your location, but it will be significant.
Another cost factor is the shrinking prices of LEDs. Over
the past decade, they've fallen by 85 percent. We ordered ours

online and our upfront cost for the 28 high-bay lights is under
$3000. Now, I say upfront cost because we anticipate our local
utility company will cut it in half with rebates based on the
wattage reduction we will have achieved. We'll recoup that
cost in about one fiscal quarter with reduced electricity
expenses. For those of you who are up and running 24/7
(which is our goal), your ROI will be even faster.

http://www.BIGPICTURE.NET

Big Picture - June/July 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Big Picture - June/July 2019