The green thumbs at  Stein Gardens & Gifts recently focused on a different type of bulb. The lawn and garden retailer replaced more than 16,500 of its light fixtures with high-performance, energy-efficient models at its Appleton, Big Bend, Brookfield, Green Bay, Mequon, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, Racine, Waukesha and West Bend stores.

With the help of Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s statewide resource for energy efficiency and renewable energy, Stein Gardens & Gifts upgraded its T12 linear-fluorescent fixtures to high-performance T8 (HPT8) electronic fixtures, and its 400-watt, metal-halide light fixtures to high-bay T8 fixtures throughout its 12 stores and warehouse.

Lower energy bills, higher ROI

These upgrades will save more than 1.5 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually—enough energy to power 159 Wisconsin homes for a year. The company will also benefit from $123,000 in yearly savings on its energy bills, and this annual savings will continue to grow year after year.

“The new lighting has drastically reduced our energy usage,” says Norb Trebiatowski, regional manager at Stein Gardens & Gifts. “So much so, that we have experienced a big drop in energy consumption.”

The upgrade is environmentally friendly, too, with annual environmental benefits equivalent to preventing 3,000 barrels of oil from being burned—avoiding the release of 2.6 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere.

HPT8s outperform the competition

HPT8 systems are made of two components: An advanced high-lumen, long-life T8 lamp and a low-ballast-factor, low-watt electronic ballast. This combination results in fantastic energy savings without reducing light output.
These systems can:

• Save 20 percent more energy than standard T8s and up  to 40 percent more than T12 systems.

• Produce the same total light output as standard T8s, but with better quality light that uses less energy.

• Generate more lumens per watt than T12 or standard T8 systems—producing more light while using less energy.

• Maintain their light output longer than T12 lamps.

• Enjoy an extended life, typically rated to last at least 24,000 hours—4,000 hours longer than standard T8 or T12 lamps.

• Provide better quality lighting than T12 lamps. HPT8 lamps must have a minimum color-rendering index (CRI) of 82 to
qualify as high performance, while standard T12 lamps have a typical CRI of only 60. (CRI is rated on a scale of 1 to 100.)

“Our stores are much brighter now,” Trebiatowski explains. “Our customers, employees and office staff have all noticed the difference.”

And Stein Gardens & Gifts isn’t stopping there. “From the cost savings we saw in 2009, we’ve already moved forward with changing the lighting in four more of our locations this year,” Trebiatowski says.

Is your business interested in renewable energy?

Focus on Energy provides specialized support for businesses throughout Wisconsin including project evaluation assistance, savings assessments, feasibility studies, best-practice training, energy management tools, and more. Call 800.762.7077 or visit focusonenergy.com to get started today.