Special Considerations in Hospital Lighting Upgrade

LED lighting and Control Upgrades in Hospitals

In the healthcare setting, there is lighting in the interior, exterior and parking areas of the facility. Surrounded by lighting, it is important to take advantage of the possible savings in hospitals by replacing the existing lighting with efficient LED.

LED lighting and control upgrades lower energy use and reduce overhead costs for many years. Two common upgrades are:

  • Brand new LED fixtures, or
  • An LED retrofit upgrade, where existing fixtures are retrofit with LED components.

New fixtures will have a longer lamp-life and added features such as light detecting photocell sensors, while LED retrofit upgrades balance lamp-life and efficiency with a lower price. Either of these upgrades create savings from added efficiency when paired with occupancy on-off sensors that allow for on-demand illumination, that also dim the fixture when the area becomes unoccupied. A light level and photometric analysis conducted by Earth Savers can suggest which type of LED upgrade would provide best results.

Cost/ Savings

Utility companies pay substantial rebates to customers who complete an LED upgrade project because the property will operate with less energy consumption, which reduces the utility company’s resources needed to keep the customer’s facility operating. Government and utility companies offer amortization loans on these projects, allowing customers to make payments against these loans to their local energy company when paying monthly energy bills. After rebates and energy reductions, financing an LED project results in a lower monthly cost, even after factoring in new energy costs. Project cost, projected kW reductions, and rebates are provided to customers after completing a survey of the facility’s lighting.

Cost and savings are presented to a customer on a detailed proposal that outline project cost, energy savings, air conditioning savings, maintenance savings, rebates, tax incentives and payback projections in a “Best”, “Better”, and “Good” layout. The differences in these proposals are the cost and product quality – the higher priced “best” proposal gives project details using premium quality lighting materials; the “better” proposal gives project details using high quality lighting materials; and the “good” proposal provides customers a project summary with “good” quality materials – at the lowest cost. A “best” optioned proposal will include highly optioned LED upgrades with IoT smart lighting that uses wireless wall switches and color tuning to support the human circadian rhythm. A “Good” proposal will give a project summary using less costly materials that will yield good results, with a shorter lamp-life and limited features for those customers with smaller budgets.

Jobsite Safety and Crew Requirements Earth Savers complies with all building and electrical code mandates, general regulatory compliance, hospital security programs, and infection control measures. The professional installation of safety features such as emergency circuits, egress lighting, and seismic anchoring is completed according to building and electrical code to keep customers, staff, and installers safe in case of an emergency. Infection control in the hospital setting is important, which is why Earth Savers selects products that enable installers to work below the ceiling plane. These products allow for minimal ceiling disruption and result in a clean room style fixture upon completion. These solutions allow for minimal interruption of operations to not interfere with the fast-paced environment of a hospital. Personal protective equipment is always worn by installers to protect against COVID-19, consisting of facemasks, rubber gloves, and hand sanitizers. Prior to hiring, all installers undergo a background check. After hiring, installers are provided immunizations to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Daily safety meetings are held to outline install schedules, identify job hazards, clarify concerns, and to remind installers to use lockout/ tagout procedures when working with live electrical wiring. About the author My name is Cristos Chuffe and I am the Training & Compliance coordinator for Earth Savers Energy Services, Inc. With delight, I have prepared this article regarding healthcare lighting and the advantages of LED lighting and control upgrades in the healthcare sector. Contact us to learn more. 

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