Lighting Retrofits - Best Left to Professionals

By Elizabeth Smyth
Nowadays there seems to be a professional for every niche and this holds true for the lighting market too. Certified Sustainable Lighting Consultants (CSLC) are the first, and only, sustainability certification for lighting professionals. CSLC certification is provided by the International Association of Lighting Management Companies as evidence that lighting professionals understand basic sustainability concepts in lighting applications. Such certified professionals understand each factor that figures into the decisions behind lighting retrofits, which makes the knowledge behind CSLC certification invaluable to fixture life cycle calculations and energy consumption comparisons

These calculations are essential when considering lighting retrofits. There are literally hundreds of options when selecting lighting fixtures, and facility managers should make informed decisions based on the most up-to-date information available. Initial cost expenditures may seem high until a certified lighting professional calculates the life cycle costs of one option compared to another. The cost savings of more expensive fixtures can clearly make them the sensible choice when viewed as savings over time.

Many government agencies offer grants for large lighting retrofits, and project selection is determined by the calculated reductions in energy consumption. These grants are competitive, and projects with detailed life cycle calculations are more likely to be selected. Even when grant dollars are not at stake, federal and state tax incentives are available to assist industry with the transition to more energy efficient equipment. In some cases it may be enough to simply indicate that old fixtures were replaced with modern, more efficient counterparts, but in many cases the tax break may depend upon the amount of energy savings.

Modern consumers are very aware of sustainability issues, and companies that use greener and sustainable technologies attract additional customers while reducing energy costs. It is essential to use a certified professional who is knowledgeable in life cycle analysis and energy consumption calculations when presenting potential customers with claims of corporate sustainability. A miscalculation can easily lead to a claim that cannot be verified, and most consumers will interpret an error of this sort as a misrepresentation.

Using certified professions for lighting retrofits benefits a company through direct energy savings, access to verifiable figures for promotional use, and access to life cycle calculations that justify large capital improvements. With so much depending upon lighting decisions, it makes sense to use professionals who are certified as experts in the field.

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Elizabeth Smyth is a writer for Precision Paragon, an energy efficient commercial lighting manufacturer. Find out how much your company can save by using our lighting retrofit calculator.