Parking Lot Lights-LED's and Reducing Energy Costs

They are an often overlooked but integral part of our island community's landscapes.  There is no question that parking lots influence how we live, work, and play. They also require a substantial amount of energy and money to operate. A trend is growing across the globe and one that is seeing some traction in Guam-business owners are recognizing the potential of light-emitting diode (LED) technology in parking lot lighting. 

The reasons are simple: to save energy, reduce maintenance costs, and improve environmental sustainability.

LEDs have been shown to save energy in limited applications, but are they ready for wide-scale adoption in parking lots? 

The U.S. Department of Energy continues to ask this question as well as property owners and entrepreneurs alike.

Researchers and trade organizations have joined forces to develop a set of criteria retailers could follow to implement LED parking lot lighting and realize energy savings and reliability. Whether it is a parking lot in Atlanta or Agana, a LED Site Lighting Specification developed in cooperation with the U.S Department of Energy provides information about both luminaire, or light fixture, performance and how the site should be lighted. For instance, the Specification outlines how lighting needs vary across the different parts of the parking lot. The Specification optimizes the performance of sites, satisfying more than pure lighting needs. Business concerns such as site aesthetics, branding, and customer safety also come into play.

Additionally, the Specification recognizes the potential risks businesses face in adopting new technologies, including reliability and maintenance costs. To address these, the Specification requires that manufacturers guarantee product performance with a five-year minimum warranty for LED luminaires.

The LED Site Lighting Performance Specification provides requirements for lighting the site as well as the luminaires. Here are a few key details of the specification:

• Both power density and illuminance requirements are by lighting zone (LZ); different amounts of light (illuminance) are needed for different parts of the parking lot, and different environments need more or less light (and thus use power differently).
• Luminaires should follow the backlight, uplight, and glare (BUG) rating requirements in IESNA TM-15.
• Luminaires should carry at least a five-year warranty covering the luminaire, finish, and power supply.
• Testing requirements are identified on manufacturers cut sheets or specification sheets.

LED technology has advanced into new categories of “white light” applications, including parking lot lighting, where early indications suggest a high-quality light and long life. At present, however, tested products are available from a limited number of suppliers, performance in the later years of the product’s life-time can only be estimated, and LED luminaires are relatively expensive on a first-cost basis. Nonetheless, there are many benefits for LED lighting in parking lots.

Need an LED parking lot light solution for your facility? Check out our website at www.get-guam.com or give GET, LLC a call at 671-797-0789.  We are a provider of Independence LED Lighting and Deco Lighting Inc. products-Made in America!!!

Tips to Buying Metal Roofing

A recent article by Metal Construction News noted the challenges of the supply chain of America's top metal roofing manufacturers.  While the construction industry supply chain is having its problems, there is no question of the trickle down impacts to the rest of the specialty markets including metal roofing.  U.S. suppliers are concerned of the how such challenges are impacted by the infiltration of international competition and getting consumers to stay home when purchasing metal roofing. Also, new players in the market have long time metal roofing companies cautiously optimistic on what the future holds for their industry.

What will rule the day?  

One answer-the establishment of minimum requirements for metal roofing quality.  

US manufacturers remain under the constant barrage of products introduced into the American marketplace from all over the world.  Keeping bad metal out keeps the bad experiences out.  Performance is key here.  Process is just as important with an eye on pre-treatment, metal coating and substrate gauge.  Finally, experience is probably the single most important variable that a consumer must take into consideration before buying a metal roof-little experience means greater cost down the road for the unsuspecting building owner or facility manager.

Key to protecting both the consumer and this important U.S. market is education.  Writers on this topic are saying that consumers need to understand the language of metal and the metal roofing industry needs to raise awareness among consumers of the benefits of metal roofing as well as the importance of choosing the right contractor. 

Quality contractors also need to educate the marketplace as well.  Can they certify the coating, paint warranties, steel thickness and quality? Is there documentation to support the quality levels? The Metal Construction Association (MCA) has an established a certification program for metal roofing. According to Executive Director of the MCA Jeff Henry the program currently has 45 metal roofing products certified among a handful of manufacturers. If the program is expanded, industry experts believe such action will  ensure the industry doesn't suffer from adverse publicity because of poor metal roof performance.  

Bottom line-Contractors need to work with experienced, long-term providers who stand behind their work.

To find out more about how GET, LLC, through our metal building partners can help with your next steel building or aluminum roofing project, give us a call at 671-483-0789 or our website at www.get-guam.com for more information.