Progressive Produce sees the light with new energy-efficient lights
Progressive Produce sees the light with new energy-efficient lights
Switching to more environmentally friendly light fixtures and lighting is a noble gesture for any company. When it saves money, increases the brightness of the facility and adds an element of worker safety as well, it is truly a win-win proposition.
"We have a green logo," said Jack Gyben, who is vice president of marketing and development for Progressive Produce Corp. in Los Angeles, as well as one of the company's owners. "But that green logo for us also represents our commitment to the environment and, in this case, the money we will save by making this switch."
Just recently the company retrofitted its entire 110,000-square-foot warehouse facility with energy-saving fixtures and fluorescent lights. Plant Manager Monte Dodd said the installation cost just under $50,000, which the company expects to recoup in less than a year. "We expect that these new lights will save us between $4,500 and $5,000 per month in power costs," he said.
Prior to the change, Mr. Dodd admitted that the lighting was a hodge-podge of different options added at different times over the years. There were some regular light bulb fixtures as well as both fluorescent and halogen lights. "We worked with our Edison [the local power company] representative and a lighting company to come up with a new plan."
Mr. Dodd said the new system actually has fewer light fixtures but produces at least 20 percent more light, largely because of new technology that includes reflectors and low-wattage, high-power fluorescent lights. He said the result is a brighter, diffused light that illuminates the entire warehouse evenly, rather than the spotlight effect that it used to have which had uneven lighting patterns.
"It is a brighter work place which has increased the productivity of the workers," Mr. Dodd said.
Mr. Gyben added that the brighter workspace should also improve worker safety. This makes sense intuitively as a major reduction in harsh shadows should make any workspace safer. Time will tell.
Both Mr. Gyben and Mr. Dodd reiterated that "going green" was an important factor in switching to these energy-saving lights. "It's great that we can save money," said Mr. Dodd, "but it was just as important to do our part for the environment and use less energy."
He said that as Southern California moves into the heat of the summer, power shortages are something every company, and resident for that matter, has to be concerned with. With the new lights, he said Progressive is reducing its energy consumption by 60 percent. If everyone did that, it would go a long way to solving the country's energy needs.
And Progressive's plant manager sees no reason other companies in the same position can't follow suit. He said there is nothing unique about Progressive's warehouse that made it a candidate for these savings.
"If your lighting is more than a few years old, you can probably realize some savings," he said. "There is new technology out there that can work for anyone."
"We have a green logo," said Jack Gyben, who is vice president of marketing and development for Progressive Produce Corp. in Los Angeles, as well as one of the company's owners. "But that green logo for us also represents our commitment to the environment and, in this case, the money we will save by making this switch."
Just recently the company retrofitted its entire 110,000-square-foot warehouse facility with energy-saving fixtures and fluorescent lights. Plant Manager Monte Dodd said the installation cost just under $50,000, which the company expects to recoup in less than a year. "We expect that these new lights will save us between $4,500 and $5,000 per month in power costs," he said.
Prior to the change, Mr. Dodd admitted that the lighting was a hodge-podge of different options added at different times over the years. There were some regular light bulb fixtures as well as both fluorescent and halogen lights. "We worked with our Edison [the local power company] representative and a lighting company to come up with a new plan."
Mr. Dodd said the new system actually has fewer light fixtures but produces at least 20 percent more light, largely because of new technology that includes reflectors and low-wattage, high-power fluorescent lights. He said the result is a brighter, diffused light that illuminates the entire warehouse evenly, rather than the spotlight effect that it used to have which had uneven lighting patterns.
"It is a brighter work place which has increased the productivity of the workers," Mr. Dodd said.
Mr. Gyben added that the brighter workspace should also improve worker safety. This makes sense intuitively as a major reduction in harsh shadows should make any workspace safer. Time will tell.
Both Mr. Gyben and Mr. Dodd reiterated that "going green" was an important factor in switching to these energy-saving lights. "It's great that we can save money," said Mr. Dodd, "but it was just as important to do our part for the environment and use less energy."
He said that as Southern California moves into the heat of the summer, power shortages are something every company, and resident for that matter, has to be concerned with. With the new lights, he said Progressive is reducing its energy consumption by 60 percent. If everyone did that, it would go a long way to solving the country's energy needs.
And Progressive's plant manager sees no reason other companies in the same position can't follow suit. He said there is nothing unique about Progressive's warehouse that made it a candidate for these savings.
"If your lighting is more than a few years old, you can probably realize some savings," he said. "There is new technology out there that can work for anyone."
