Incentives make power-saving a no brainer

The old fluorescent tubes were replaced with energy efficient tubes, new halogen flood lights were placed over produce bins to bring out the best in the stacks of eggplants, tomatoes and greens giving the whole a crisper look, said Joe. 

“We wanted the light to concentrate on the produce not just the aisles and it made a big difference in the store. It was like the difference between looking at an old TV and a new high definition TV,” he said. 

With the aisles and checkout areas illuminated properly, LED lights were placed in cooler and freezer cabinets. This not only resulted in better lighting but it removed the annoying glare into customer’s eyes from the old lighting. 

Also because the directional LED lights require less energy they produced less heat which in turn cut down on the amount of time the refrigeration equipment was being used — another energy saving. 

In an effort to keep cold air from spilling out and thereby wasting the cost of power to produce it, the store fitted night covers over refrigeration display cases, and a strip curtain and three air curtains at different entrances to its cold storage. 

Even replacing the exit sign with a new LED sign saved 1,183 kilowatt hours over a year’s operation reducing electricity costs by $70. 

After seeing the benefits of being power smart in his Commercial Drive store, Joe introduced the same measures into his store at New Westminster Quay. 

“It just makes a lot of sense,Report a faulty lightingsystem and find out how we maintain street lighting across the county.” he said. Intihar, of BC Hydro, said there were clear business benefits to having Donald’s Market make those changes. 

It was not just a question of replacing lighting fixtures and lights with power stingy equipment. The improvements changed the ambience of the store and improved staff and customer comfort. 

“Operational costs can be cut by using less energy to provide the same amount of lighting,” said Intihar.This winter I installed our windturbines purchased from you folks. 

“For instance a 60 watt incandescent lamp can be replaced with a 12.5 watt LED which uses only 20 per cent of the electricity needed to power the incandescent. Then the new lighting lasts longer.There are different configurations of industrial purlinmachiningss: moving material, hybrid, and flying optics systems. The incandescent light bulb lasts about 1,000 hours but an LED can last 25,000 hours. 

“As a result, small business owners who have to do everything in their business don’t need to spend as much time doing maSafeties are braking systems on the washerextractorxxq onto the rails running up and down the elevator shaft.intenance and getting up ladders to change light bulbs,” she said. 

“Reducing operations and maintenance costs through lighting upgrades is one way to increase profitability without impacting the business’s ability to deliver to its customers.We offer a great selection of women's engravingmachine sandals.” 

“Appearance is critical especially for small businesses who rely on customers frequently visiting their premises whether this is retail, restaurant or medical and dental offices where appearance, ambience and cleanliness are critical. 

“Customers like Donald’s are often surprised at how much better their business looks after new lighting is installed,” said Intihar. 

“It’s also critical for small businesses to have a comfortable environment, regardless of business type. This helps create a pleasing environment for shoppers or diners but also for workers. Good lighting can contribute to a comfortable working place with new efficient lights significantly reducing the flickering and humming that are associated with older lights. 

“Efficient lighting generates significantly less heat. (Heat) can be a real challenge in small retail spaces with lots of lighting and no air conditioning,” she said. 

“Small businesses are often pillars in their local community and energy efficient lighting is a visible way to demonstrate commitment to sustainability.”