Efficiency might just not be about energy savings!
When I was last in southern California a few years ago, the majority of businesses - it seemed to me - had transitioned to LED lighting. What was interesting about that experience is that I actually began to notice the facilities that did not have superior lighting, and not the other way around.
This is happening more and more in the southeast.
For the last ten years I have been recommending higher efficiency lighting for my clients. The paybacks are just tremendous, 1-3 years in most cases. In 2008 there were few financing options for higher efficiency lighting. Now lending institutions are begging Consensus Energy to bring them lighting conversion projects. The payoff has been demonstrated by tens of thousands of case studies. There is little risk in backing good LED lighting conversion projects. Clients are almost always “cash flow positive” even after financing costs are factored in.
As companies upgrade their operations to better efficiency, not only do electrical, gas and water bills go down, but the facilities just plain look better! This is particularly important for business that rely on a strong street facing presence: convenience stores, hotels, restaurants, parking garages, retail stores; even offices to some degree.
This is particularly important for business that are situated proximate to one another.
The value of strong marketing and safety has practically eclipsed energy savings as the primary motivator for higher efficiency lighting. The early adopters of new technology are trend setters, and as the bell curve hits a peak, the “laggards” have to scramble to convert, if only to keep their market share!
If a compelling case for energy savings has not persuaded business owners to upgrade their lighting, you can be sure that staying competitive will. If you are one the last few businesses or buildings on a busy street to improve your public-facing image, you may be losing business despite providing the exact same (or better) service. Decisions to patronize a business are often made emotionally – better light, higher safety and a clean, modern operation might just tilt the business one way.
If you haven’t made the decision to invest in improving your operational efficiency, think of it this way: how long can you afford to keep clients coming to your business with outdated operating systems?
That might just be the stronger argument for making your business run as well as it could.