A lighting upgrade to LED is one of the most popular and effective commercial energy saving projects available, and it’s easy to see why. LEDs have a far superior lifespan, are highly energy-efficient, use very little energy and are non-toxic. LED lighting services can effectively reduce your commercial space’s lighting expenses by using only on sixth of the energy of incandescent lighting – and lasting up to 25 times longer too. But there is a catch – these lighting systems require a supply of clean, quality power in order to deliver.
Check Your Power Quality Before LED Lighting Upgrades
When the team behind the invention of blue light-emitting diodes won the Nobel prize for developing the LEDs we use today, organisations understandably rushed to get on board. The city of Los Angeles replaced traditional bulbs with over 155,000 LEDs in a massive city-wide lighting upgrade and this adoption has been so successful that, in the USA alone, LED lighting is set to create commercial energy savings of more than $30 billion.
However, many organisations did not sufficiently investigate the quality of the power supplied to their facilities and commercial spaces before committing to a lighting upgrade from LED services providers. Without a supply of clean, quality power, LED lighting will likely fail at very high rates – around 1-50% within 2 years of installation, with dramatically increasing failure rates outside the warranty period.
In order for an LED lighting upgrade to be successful, power quality should be audited by qualified professionals in order to ensure that the commercial energy savings from the lighting upgrade will exceed the potential cost of power quality preparedness as well as the project itself.
LEDs Can Contribute to Pre-Existing Power Quality Issues
Another important reason why a power quality audit is essential before undertaking this type of commercial energy saving project is that LEDs can actually contribute to pre-existing power quality issues. These include:
- Power factor: Some types of LEDs can contribute to power factor issues, which can lead to equipment damage, power losses and voltage drops.
- Inrush current: If your LEDs contribute to power factor issues, this can lead to damaging surges in power.
- Harmonics: Some LED systems can cause harmonic distortion due to the load, stressing equipment and your electrical network, and leading to higher maintenance costs and potential downtime.
Partner with Energy Quality Professionals for Power Quality Solutions and LED Lighting Services
When it comes to lighting upgrades to LED, it is essential to have an experienced and professional partner on your team. At Quality Energy, we are passionate about engineering tailored solutions for commercial and industrial clients, ensuring that you get a high-quality power supply to your facility along with proven commercial energy saving solutions that deliver bottom-line results and protect as well as enhance your operation. For more information on our products and LED lighting services, please contact us today.
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