Making the Switch to LED Lights

In the last few years, our firm has decided to stop using conventional lighting and move to LED lighting exclusively. Many of the clients we work with still have traditional lighting installed and are concerned with the upgrade costs and actual cost savings when it comes to transitioning to LED lighting. Can you relate?

Here are a few things to keep in mind that may help make the decision a bit easier for you and your team:

• Before making any moves to remove and install new lighting, it would be wise to check with your current business representative for your electrical account. Many electrical providers offer credits or cash for businesses to change their lighting to a lower-consumption option. Some providers will even do a cost analysis for you to show actual cost savings. In most cases, it can offset your upfront or ongoing costs by just making this first step

• Ensure your lighting team are experts with both theatrical AND architectural lighting. Many firms and electrical contractors only do one or the other, and although these types of lighting differ greatly, there will likely be scenarios where you’ll need both. In many situations where broadcasting or streaming video is going to be taking place, it is essential to make sure the color temperature of the fixtures matches in both areas of use. If you are going to upgrade your equipment in stages, keep in mind that in most cases, your conventional lights will not match your LED lights. It may be wise to keep architectural and theatrical lighting separate and upgrade them individually if the budget doesn’t allow for the full upgrade at once.

• Lastly, you may want to verify the wattage and volts running to your current systems. A good lighting designer will ensure that you’ll be able to work with some of what you already have, so you don’t have to redo your entire infrastructure. And in most cases, you will be able to add lights without adding additional power. LED lights require less wattage, but it is imperative that the correct fixture is installed with the proper coverages and foot candles. An experienced lighting designer should be able to analyze and draw these things out to scale in advance. With some theatrical lighting, you may be able to use retrofit kits to remove and replace old setups with LED lighting setups, which is typically about half the cost, or less, than new fixtures. 

Another benefit to transitioning to LED lighting, is that you may have the option of coloring space. Many LED lights have the ability to use a color spectrum or color mixing from a single fixture, which allows for more creativity in common areas. Having the option to add some color may enable you to add some variety to your lighting.