| The
Business
Harmony
Farm Supply and Nursery has provided the tools to practice organic gardening,
conservation and sustainability for more than 20 years. The business has
grown from a converted chicken coop to an 8,000 square foot store and
nursery on almost eight acres. Harmony also offers solar electric system
design, supply and installation coordination. “Sustainability is
what our business is all about,” said owner David Henry.
The
Challenge
Henry, pointing to his solar electricity panels, practices what he preaches.
He wasn’t aware, however, that the high bay metal halide lighting
fixtures in the warehouse sent the power bill soaring higher than the
two-story ceilings. Add in old-fashioned T-12 fluorescent lights that
were quietly guzzling energy, and Henry had a perfect lighting retrofit
opportunity.
The
Solution
The Small Business Energy Alliance (SBEA) replaced power hungry high bay
lights with linear fluorescent lamps and aluminum reflectors. That change
immediately cut energy consumption in half, from 456 Watts to 228 Watts.
The SBEA also replaced aging T-12 fluorescent lamps with energy-efficient
T-8 lamps, and traded old magnetic ballasts for modern electronic ones.
More
Light, Less Energy
“We have more light than before, the light is natural looking and
we cut our energy usage by almost 25%,” said Henry.
The
Savings
“I thought, ‘I have fluorescents, I’m doing OK,’”
admitted Henry, “but I didn’t realize how much I could save
by updating the system.” Thanks to energy savings, Henry, whose
solar electrical system is tied to the PG&E power grid, is now producing
100% of his own electricity. Prior to the retrofit, Henry produced about
77% of his power and purchased the rest from PG&E.
The
Bottom Line
Since state-sponsored funding from the SBEA paid for half of the costs,
Henry’s share of the lighting retrofit was about $3,000. With monthly
savings of approximately $330, his payback period will prove to be less
than a year. “With solar electric systems, the payback ranges from
five to 15 years,” explained Henry. “A payback of less than
one year is a no brainer.”
“The
Energy Savers Program is just one more way that businesses can help lighten
the load on the entire planet,” said Henry.
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