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Driving down Airport Way in South Seattle, one passes the iconic Rainier brewery on the right hand side. This landmark building has been converted into office space, a common theme in Seattle. While these days Seattle is best known for its tech scene, this section of roadway abutting I-5 still holds reminisce of the life blood of this unique city. It’s one that builds consumer goods, not just the apps that divert our attention on a second to second basis.

Fabriform (now Fabrifi), just a stone’s throw away from the infamous Rainier Brewery,  is another one of Seattle’s long time manufacturing businesses. Over the past 38 years, it has been an industry leader in plastics formation across the Pacific Northwest. It serves the aerospace, medical and dental, life sciences, gaming, semiconductor, marine, transportation, and food processing industries.

Unlike some of its foundry neighbors along Airport Way, Fabrifi’s manufacturing process is clean, technical, and requires great attention to detail. When Urban Energy Group first audited the facility it was clear that uniformity, maintenance savings, and energy efficiency were the customer’s main issues of concern. There were too many existing lights cluttered throughout the space. Our main goal was to redesign the layout in order to improve distribution, while significantly decreasing the number of existing high bay fixtures.

Post installation the main production facility looked like a completely new space. We cut the number of high bay fixtures in half. We spaced the new LED high bays evenly throughout the warehouse and converted the task lighting to LED above areas that required attentional light. The redesign improved the overall appearance of the building’s interior. There was uniformity across the space and distribution greatly improved.

Project Highlights

• $5,727 saved/yr
• 71,583 kWh saved/yr
• 66% energy saved/yr
• 53% incentivized by Seattle City Light

  

We have had a lot of success over the years upgrading existing T8 fluorescent tubes with “plug and play” T8 LED tubes. Since rewiring is not required when one installs “plug and play” tubes, there is typically a lower labor cost associated with the project. In addition, keeping existing ballasts avoids future safety concerns surrounding accidental installation of fluorescent tubes after the fixture has been hardwired for LED.

While there are some proven monetary and safety benefits to plug and play tubes, there are also quite a few drawbacks. Ballast failure and ballast compatibility are two important factors to consider during the decision making process. If proper due diligence is not conducted prior to installation, the customer can end up spending more money on ballast replacement, negating any initial upfront cost savings.

Main Benefits of Plug and Play LED Tubes

1. The upfront cost savings
2. Safety

Lower upfront cost is the number one reason our customers have upgraded their T8 fluorescent lamps to plug and play lamps. Plug and play lamps work off the existing ballast; thus, have lower upfront cost since a licensed electrician does not have to rewire the fixture.  Another argument in favor of plug and play lamps surrounds safety. Ballasts are current regulators. When one removes the ballast and rewires the lamp directly into the tombstone ends, a fluorescent lamp should never be replaced in that fixture later down the road. A sticker must be placed on the fixture stating that the ballast has been removed to avoid the lamp malfunctioning or exploding due to the direct line current not being regulated.

Main Drawbacks of  Plug and Play LED Tubes

1. Ballast failure
2. Ballast compatibility

Although plug and play lamps have been the right fit for some of our customers, it is important to be upfront about the drawbacks of this technology. First, many of our customers come to us because they are tired of changing ballasts and lamps. If one chooses to install plug and play lamps, then the ballasts will become the main point of failure. While the lamps may last over 10 years, the ballast could go out in less than 5 years. It is important to discuss the overall life expectancy of the fixture with the customer, not just the lamps. Next, it is important to research ballast compatibility. Different brands work with different types of ballasts. The main types of T8 ballasts you will find include: rapid start, instant start, program start ballasts. It is important to check the existing fixtures to verify the ballast type and to then check the manufacturer’s spec sheet to confirm that the lamp you are purchasing will work with that ballast.

Upgrading lights in one’s facility is an investment. At Urban Energy Group we work with our customers to find the most sensible and the cost effective solution. Since LED technology is constantly changing, it can be intimidating selecting the best solution. It is important to consult a lighting professional if you are unsure which product will work best for you.

 

It is late winter in Seattle and the rain drizzles steadily throughout our two week install. Customers wearing utility overalls, their hands greasy from repairing ships, frequent the store on a daily basis. Business is bustling in the back warehouse, a separate layer of commerce unseen by the retail customer, shipping tools, equipment and supplies to Mechanical Contractors and Industrial Customers throughout the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. The fishing boats are leaving for Alaska soon and Ballard Industrial is hustling 10 hours per day cutting pipe, moving pallets, and shipping truckloads  of product across the canal. Ballard Industrial is a staple of the local marine and industrial economy. Those who drive down Shilshole Avenue are familiar with the iconic blue and orange painted brick building.

Ballard Industrial had received three bids, yet the numbers to upgrade just didn’t match the budget. They needed a different approach and we were ready to offer them a win-win solution. After careful analysis of foot traffic, height, and spacing we designed the project to maximize both energy savings and the utility incentive.

We converted over half of the 4 lamp fluorescent fixtures to 2 lamp LED fixtures and the 2 lamp fluorescent fixtures to one lamp LED fixtures. We increased light in the retail space while maintaining light levels in areas of the stacks with less foot traffic.

Creatively redesigning a customer’s lighting system is one of Urban Energy Group’s greatest values. We strive for better lighting, better savings, and a better customer experience 100% of the time. Ballard Industrial proves that solutions can be found on a tight budget without sacrificing quality.

Project Highlights

• $7,052.28 saved/yr
• 18,089 kWh saved/yr
• 85% energy saved/yr
• 52% incentivized by Seattle City Light

 

 

 

Consider the last time you were walking around downtown Seattle. You pass one of the giant skyscapers on your right hand side and do a double take. You gaze into the lobby and think, wow what an exceptional piece of artwork!  Entering a space with vibrant splashes of color can instantaneously transform a visitor’s mood. Many of us appreciate artwork but we rarely come to understand the technical complexity that goes into creating all the vibrant murals that hang across town.

Light quality is critical for the painting industry. Color matching is especially important. LEDs with a high CRI factor offer superior benefits over fluorescent lighting for the following reasons:

1. To see paint color without tinting effects
2. Mimic natural light for accurate color matching
3. Seeing texture

In February, Urban Energy Group partnered with Hauge & Hassain, Inc., a Ballard based business with over 50 years of experience installing murals, cork boards, and wallcovering products for corporate customers, high end residential homes, and vessels in the Puget Sound region.

Hauge & Hassain, Inc. was searching for results beyond energy savings. They needed better lighting in their shop and their paint booth to improve their color matching process. We found them a solution that would save money and would enhance their quality control process. We upgraded all their 32W fluorescent bulbs with 14W high CRI LED lamps and replaced their 400W metal halide high bay fixtures with 165W LED highbays. We even installed a few high CRI lamps in one of the technicians office so he can conduct quality control and respond to customer’s email at the same time. Now that’s efficiency!

Project Highlights

• $3,162 saved/yr
• 39,522 kWh saved/yr
• 47% energy saved/yr
• 42% incentivized by Seattle City Light

Finding solutions that save our customers money and optimize business operations excites us at Urban Energy Group…and it’s also pretty cool when Seattle City Light pays for almost half the project! Click here to see if your facility qualifies for better lighting.

 

Imagine driving down a street lined with car dealerships on either side. Each car on the lot is spotless: regularly washed, buffed, and wiped dry. Now imagine every dealership on the block has crisp LED lights showing off that new car look…everyone, except yours, that is. Instead, 11 of your 30 pole lights are burnt out. Your 20 year old fixtures still have 1000W metal halides that cost $75 per bulb plus the cost of renting a lift to replace it. You are paying a fortune every month to keep even those 11 bulbs running 12 hours per day. You are the darkest dealership on the block. You are a target for theft and vandalism. According to the FBI, car theft was up 20% in Washington in 2017. Dim, burnt out, inefficient lighting increases the likelihood of thieves stealing car radios or driving away with a brand new Dodge Ram.

Prior to January, that was our customer. Neighbors on all sides of the street had already upgraded to LED. One third of our customer’s exterior lights were burnt out. Windows were regularly smashed in to steal radios and miscellaneous parts. They needed to get all their lights working, but the 1000W lamps in each pole light were costing too much. They needed a better option.

Our solution to upgrade all the pole lights to 90W LED fixtures drastically reduced their electric bill, increased safety, and added a competitive edge to their business. And if that wasn’t good enough, the Puget Sound Energy paid for a majority of the project! It was a win-win for everyone. The metrics speak for themselves:

• $13,489 saved/yr
• 140,513 kWh saved/yr
• 90% energy saved/yr
• 68% incentivized by Puget Sound Energy incentivized

Does your car dealership need some extra sparkle? Click here to see if you qualify for utility rebate money in your area.

Imagine you live in the heart of Queen Anne. You spend half your income on rent to live in one of Seattle’s hottest neighborhoods. During winter’s dreary days, you leave for work in the dark and get home in the dark. The last thing you need is to get off the elevator, to walk down a dimly lit hallway, and to struggle to unlock your apartment door because half of the lights are burnt out.

The Greater Seattle Area is full of mid-rise apartment buildings, averaging 5 floors, all lined with rows of recess cans in the hallways and common areas.  If a building was built or upgraded over 5 years ago, we can almost guarantee that those recess cans have a 18W-26W CFL plug in lamps that are connected to a ballast. While this technology was considered “the best” a decade ago, it’s now a maintenance person’s nightmare. Not only do the CFLs burn out regularly but the ballasts inside those small recess cans can melt to the metal and can be challenging to replace. We consistently receive calls from building owners and property managers asking for a better solution.

In December Urban Energy Group found one of its Queen Anne customers just that: a solution that looked better, created uniformity, increased safety, and cut energy savings by two thirds. We replaced ninety 26W fixtures with new 9W recess cans. Our customer’s maintenance staff was ecstatic. They will no longer have to spend multiple hours per week changing light bulbs…at least not for another 10-15 years. On top of that, the Seattle City Light paid for over 60% of the project.

Project Highlights (includes garage fixtures as well):

• $8,019 saved/yr
• 100,284 kWh saved/yr
• 82% energy saved/yr
• 62% incentivized by Seattle City Light