LED lighting solutions are gaining traction around the world as architects, contractors and their commercial clients discover the unprecedented energy savings, low maintenance and overall reduced total cost of ownership these next-generation fixtures provide compared to traditional high-pressure sodium, metal halide (MH), fluorescent and other conventional lighting technologies.

Recently, Dialight, a global leader in LED lighting technology, had the distinction of having five of its industry-leading lighting products earn letters of recommendation from the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) in recognition of the high energy-efficiency standards upheld by the company’s key LED lighting products. The recognised units include two of its flagship DuroSite LED High bay (HBGC4P and HB2C4M-EU) fixtures – which boast the largest installed base of any high bay fixture on the market – along with the DuroSite LED Low Bay (LBW1C1D-EU) fixture, StreetSense Series LED Street Light (SL3C4RLGH); and the DuroSite LED Area Light (STW9C2N).

Beyond the fact that each of the Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified units also meets the local green building standards that go into effect next year, the Dialight units have proven in third-party testing to be highly durable in local conditions, including sand, dust and heat. Even under the harshest conditions, the solid-state systems deliver exceptional lighting and long-life performance that make the total cost of ownership a winning proposition for applications in oil and gas, power generation, water and sewage, food and beverage, cold storage, infrastructure, logistics and other heavy industrial markets.

In fact, the fixtures have already been deployed in several high-profile installations, including a current trial for Dewa itself, delivering maximum illumination and efficiency at minimum energy consumption and operating costs.

Faced with new lighting standards set by the food processing authorities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Seville Food Products of Dubai recently replaced 95 MH units with Dialight DuroSite High Bay fixtures to improve lux levels and achieve greener operations. The entire retrofit has reduced the facility’s energy load by 11,550 W, saving 101,178 kWh and Dh44,518 ($12,129) per year. In addition to the direct energy savings as a result of the new fixtures, the extremely low heat output of the Dialight fixtures has enabled the facility to maintain its mandated 22 deg C maximum temperature with no additional load on its air-conditioning system.

In one area, 60 existing 250 W MH lamps were replaced with 90 142 W Dialight High Bay (HB2C4M-EU) fixtures. Light levels more than doubled to an impressive 550 lux on average from 250 lux. Despite the improved illumination and additional lighting fixtures, energy load on the area actually decreased from 18,000 W to 13,500 W, saving the company 39,420 kWh and Dh1,734 ($472) in just the first year for this area alone.

In a second area, 35 400W MH units were replaced one-for-one with 142 W Dialight High Bays with specially-designed oval pattern optics.

Dialight’s uniquely proprietary custom-optics design enables lighting designers to place the light exactly where it’s needed, to maximise existing lux and eliminate light waste. In this part of the Seville facility – a small production line with high ceilings – the unique optics design of the Dialight High Bays allowed the fixtures to be mounted close to the ceiling for maximum clearance with light directed toward the processing machinery, and no light wasted on the walls.

Another success story for Dialight is the another application in Dubai at the Logix warehouse, where the facility’s owner Alshaya Group aimed to retrofit its existing warehouse with new high-efficiency Leed-certified lighting. The multi-tier storage system was lit to only 50 to 100 lux at best with the existing MH units. After a brief test of five Dialight High Bays in a single aisle, the company replaced all the fixtures in its existing 20,000-sq-m warehouse, realising 160 lux with a one-to-one replacement as part of a new rack layout.

The company was so impressed with the improved lighting conditions that it opted for complete installation of Dialight High Bay and Low Bay units as part of its new 26,000-sq-m facility. In total, Logix installed just 472 fixtures compared to the 750 that would have been required had it opted for conventional linear two-foot fluorescent or 400 W MH units. As a result, the company reduced the number of fixtures by 30 per cent, while achieving 50 to 100 per cent improvement in lighting/visibility.

In both the Seville and Logix installations, the Dialight units not only deliver significant energy savings, but also significantly reduce the ongoing maintenance demands and associated cost compared to conventional MH and other lighting solutions. In both cases, the Dialight fixtures carry a five-year full performance warranty, which means the companies can count on half a decade or more of worry-free lighting.

With their impressive energy-efficient operation, virtually zero maintenance demand and overall lower total cost of ownership compared to conventional lighting, LED fixtures offer a greener solution that can deliver long-life performance and significant cost savings over the long haul. With their proven durability, specialised optics design, global footprint and industry-renowned product innovation, Dialight’s Dewa-recommended products deliver the earth-friendly benefits of going green with a superior, money-saving lighting solution in virtually any environment.

* Michael Schratz is the director of marketing for Dialight, responsible for the company’s worldwide corporate branding, messaging, market positioning and communications including web marketing, PR and social media initiatives. Schratz plays an integral role in managing new product introductions, successfully rolling out new white light LED lighting products into the market.