Best practices in energy efficiency programs in the Northeast

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NYSERDA's New York Energy $mart^SM Small Commercial Lighting Program

The New York Energy $mart^SM Small Commercial Lighting Program (SCLP) administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), promotes effective, energy-efficient lighting, emphasizing proper lighting design and deployment.

As a market transformation initiative, SCLP partners with the lighting industry in New York State to change how lighting projects are designed, specified, and implemented. It incorporates specific design metrics to ensure that lighting projects are not only exceptionally energy-efficient, but also provide high-quality illumination. While its ultimate objective is to reduce peak demand in New York State, it seeks to do so in a manner that enhances the visual environment of people working in the affected spaces.

Who is the end user/customer of the program?

SCLP participants, or “allies,” are drawn from the lighting industry in New York (and those doing business in the State), and are classified according to their main line of business: distributors, contractors, designers, and others, including manufacturers and their representatives. The SCLP has trained over 1,300 lighting practitioners across these ally categories.

The SCLP design model SCLP’s lighting design model requires that project lighting power density be 10 percent below that allowed by New York State regulations. Projects must also conform to specific requirements for on-task light levels, lighting uniformity, glare, and color rendering. This model has been accepted by the small commercial sector in New York State with nearly 550 qualifying projects representing almost four million square feet.

Among the successful qualifying projects is the Modell’s Sporting Goods store serving the Co-Op City neighborhood in the Bronx. With over 50 stores in New York State, Modell’s wanted to distinguish its Bronx location (Bay Plaza) from the local big box stores. Recognizing that improved lighting in its 11,780 square feet of retail space would attract customers and help meet sales targets despite the close proximity of competitors, and knowing that good lighting would keep operating costs down, Modell’s engaged Duke Supply, a SCLP Ally Distributor to create a lighting design that met the store’s requirements.

What is the situation prior to the program's implementation that the program hoped to correct or mitigate?

The New York Energy $mart^SM Small Commercial Lighting Program (SCLP) was established in 2000 by NYSERDA to overcome the limitations of poor lighting design, through the application of effective, energy-efficient lighting design.

In a typical retail setting, shelving and other display units often interfere with lighting, and typical fixtures often make the ceiling space dark. Through the SCLP, Modell’s sought to overcome these lighting challenges in its Bronx location in order to make the store and product appealing while providing energy cost savings.

Did the program include any customer incentives such as rebates?

SCLP allied lighting practitioners receive incentives of up to $1,000 ($800 for designers) for qualified lighting projects. End-users, such as Modell’s are also eligible for incentives under other NYSERDA programs to help lower the first cost of the new technologies. The Small Commercial Lighting Program also offers:

• Training materials to qualify as a program Ally;
• Tools and resources to guide Allies on designing and installing effective, energy-efficient lighting;
• Assistance in incorporating the principles of effective, energy-efficient lighting design as part of a good business strategy;
• Incentives for the design and implementation of lighting projects meeting SCLP design criteria;
• Cash awards for competitions based on the number and total floor area of small commercial spaces upgraded with effective lighting; and
• Awards for chosen projects that demonstrate exemplary lighting designs in small commercial spaces.

What improvements were made as part of the program?

The SCLP allowed Modell’s to upgrade its lighting systems to include:

1. Glare-controlled, low profile T-8 parabolic fixtures to provide general, high efficiency lighting;
2. Two-lamp T-8 linear fluorescent wall washers to provide high efficiency vertical lighting, even illumination, and surface brightness for wall displays;
3. High color rendering linear fluorescent lamps that emphasize the colors of merchandise and enhance the attractiveness of the retail space; and
4. 1.79 installed watts per square foot for lighting.

What was saved as a result of the program, and how much?

While the annual energy savings of all SCLP end-users combined is 24 GWh, the lighting improvements made specifically at the Modell’s Bay Plaza store resulted in:

• Estimated kilowatts reduced compared to a typical retail store: 17.8 kW
• Estimated annual kilowatt-hours saved compared to a typical retail store: 92,500 kWh
• Estimated energy savings compared to a typical retail store: $9,250

Lighting energy use for Modell’s is well below the maximum level allowed by the Energy Conservation Construction Code of New York State. General lighting is provided with only 1.21 W/ft, and accent lighting is accomplished with only 0.58 W/ft2, resulting in a very energy efficient retail store lighting project.

Were there non-energy benefits as a result of the improvement?

Lighting maintenance costs for Modell’s are minimal, based on the 20,000-hour average rated life of the T-8 linear fluorescent lamps. Using this energy-efficient technology also helps reduce cooling costs in the summer.

All of the fixtures selected for the Modell’s store meet the SCLP requirement for glare control, directing light away from people’s eyes and making it more comfortable and pleasant for staff and customers. The linear fluorescent lamps used in the fixtures not only produce more accurate color rendition than the standard lamps. The results are uniform lighting levels for customers to view the merchandise and for store staff to stock the floor displays.

Quote from end user/customer

Oscar Flores, Assistant Manager, has worked at other retail stores during his career. He points out that the lighting in the Modell’s Bay Plaza store provides “a much brighter appearance than other stores. The balance of floor, wall, and ceiling brightness makes it a pleasant place to work and shop.”

For more information, please review the full NYSERDA case study of Modell's Bay Plaza.

Interested in submitting a case study for NEEP Notes? Please contact Catherine Attardo for more information.