Hospital/University/
Government/Schools (HUGS)
Through our entrenched experience in designing energy efficient lighting solutions for Hospitals, Universities, School Districts and Government facilities, we have documented several key learnings. These learnings demonstrate our ability to identify and manage the unique engineering challenges associated with every lighting project.
Audit and Test
Because so many HUGS projects involve different buildings with multiple purposes and varying technologies, a thorough audit and financial analysis is imperative. The information and variables collected from the audit are critical to understanding current lighting levels, expenditures and equipment. The audit guides the strategy for the design and construction plan, calculates projected financial implications and provides direction on the type of materials best suited for each facility and purpose.
Most lighting companies stop there. At Sun Industries, we go a step further to test design elements and technology recommendations. Test cases or scenarios are run to determine if there are any other opportunities for improvement. At the conclusion of every audit and testing phase you can be assured you will receive the best recommendations with the greatest financial impact.
Rebate Impact
Sun Industries understands the importance of utility company rebates and tax credits from both a holistic view and from their client’s financial perspective. Because of the quality, experience and value the Sun Industries teams bring to lighting projects, they are not always going to provide the “cheapest” proposal. However, because of their due diligence and commitment to the keeping current with the new and existing rebate structures, our client’s experience an expedited Return on Investment when engaging Sun Industries in their energy conservation projects.
24x7 Operations
Implementing energy efficient lighting solutions in many Hospital, University, Government and School (HUGS) environments requires coordinating crews and installation in a bustling, tightly scheduled operation. Some of these projects must be implemented within a 24x7 operating cycle. Sun Industries has earned the reputation of providing outstanding customer service due to their years of experience in designing, installing and managing lighting solution projects without interrupting or interfering with their client’s daily operations.
Financing Energy Conservation
Energy conservation projects require a substantial financial commitment. An energy efficient lighting solution as one of the components of a larger performance management contract can actually begin to free up cash flow and reduce monthly expenses immediately, helping to reduce the burden or offset the financial stress an energy conservation project might create. And a typical payback period for many lighting projects is between 2 – 3 years.
Retrofitting Reputation
When working in high end medical facilities it is very likely that the existing lighting systems are also of high quality and of reputable brands. When faced with the challenge of increasing the energy savings in an already efficient environment, the system design is mission critical. Sun Industries understands that the foundation of an energy efficient lighting solution begins with sound design based on state of the art technology and system integration.
Case Study - Government
The City of Westminster (Colorado) is committed to being “green”. So when they decided to upgrade all of their municipal buildings they selected Sun Industries through their energy partner Siemens. They chose Sun Industries not only for their expertise in the government sector but also for their thorough understanding of the impact of lighting energy efficiency on the environment.
Sun Industries kicked off the assignment with an in-depth energy analysis of every city building in Westminster. The audit included readings and energy consumption from every light meter in every possible situation. The readings included energy usage when the lights are on and the room is occupied, when the lights are on and the room is unoccupied, when the lights are off and the room is occupied and unoccupied. All in all the analysis and subsequent upgrade covered over 1.7 million square feet of building space for these multi-use facilities. The buildings included among others, city hall, police and fire stations, community recreation centers, county halls, racquet ball courts and all maintenance buildings.
The buildings were installed with T-8s and the most energy efficient low ballast fixture appropriate for each building’s situation. Several areas were also installed with occupancy sensors to conserve energy based on the occupancy of the room. In addition, photo-cells were used to ensure the correct light levels were delivered regardless of the amount of natural light illuminating the area.
Sun Industries successfully completed this involved and complex lighting project for The City of Westminster. And the success is realized in over $1 million in annual savings. Further evidence of their efforts toward energy conservation can be seen in the rebates they qualified for and the recognition they received by the state. The Governor of Colorado awarded them an Energy Savings Plaque and “Green” certificate which they proudly display for their city.
Case Study - School District
In California a concept called the mobile classroom or portable buildings is not uncommon due to the rapid rise in population with little time to respond from a classroom infrastructure perspective. Fresno (California) made the decision to retrofit all of the portable building in their 85 site school district. They had proceeded through an audit with another lighting company and then re-bid the assignment. They were not interested in a re-audit but Sun Industries knew that many factors were likely not uncovered by the other team.
As a steward to their client’s budget, Sun Industries proceeded with the audit and determined there were over 12,000 fixtures with over 30 different types of lenses. Had they not conducted the audit the project would have experienced costs not in the budget for additional time and materials. In addition, to ensure the thoroughness of their audit they developed test scenarios that actually uncovered more opportunities and provided additional direction to the construction plan. Through careful planning they were able to standardize the school districts portable buildings not only saving energy but decreasing the cost to manage the inventory.
Another over-site Sun Industries discovered during their engagement was the mis-budgeting of waste removal. The initial budget was based on installation specifications rather than what was actually planned to be removed from the building. Because of the new technology used in the lighting upgrade, much less material was required for installation vs. what existed in the building.
Case Study - Hospitals
A large hospital in the Denver area, in partnership with a leading Energy Services Company (ESCO) was seeking out energy conservation solutions. The ESCO recommended the building of an exterior energy plant that they would construct and own, to provide the hospital with energy efficient HVAC systems. To help fund this initiative the hospital agreed to an energy savings lighting project. The ESCO partnered with Sun Industries to retrofit the existing buildings with the goal of generating enough energy savings to partially cover the costs of the HVAC facility within 2 – 3 years.
To protect their premier reputation as the state of the art hospital, they provided Sun Industries a document that stated their strict design and build standards and parameters. With that in hand, Sun Industries initiated the project with a complete audit of all of their existing structures. The audit included a financial analysis and preliminary engineering designs. The plan was ultimately approved by the doctor who served as the hospital’s head administrator.
The majority of the design solution was retrofitting 30 watt T8 lamps from T12 lamps. High efficiency ballasts were installed and incandescents were converted to compact fluorescents. LED retrofits were also installed in all of their exit signs. Overall, the projected energy savings reflected a nearly 50% reduction with a payback period of less than 3 years And they were able to generate more light even with the installation of lower output lamps and ballasts.
What appears to be a relatively straightforward implementation was anything but that. Sun Industries faced many challenges due to the nature of the hospital’s operations. The work had to be scheduled in the laboratories, patient areas, medical offices, common areas and mechanical support areas all without interfering with the delicate and critical work of this 24x7 facility.
What was anticipated by the hospital to be a distraction to their operations, and with some skepticism as to the results of the work, actually generated the highest level of client satisfaction. Because of their years of experience and understanding of the need for business continuation throughout a lighting project, Sun Industries successfully and smoothly coordinated and implemented the hospitals design and build energy efficient lighting solution. And the ESCO was so satisfied with the results that they continue to work with Sun Industries, as a preferred channel partner for lighting projects.
Sun Industries, Inc.
Illuminating the Future