Energy Savings

In today's market, energy cost savings are the number one reason for business owners and facility managers to consider upgrading from inefficient HID (High Intensity Discharge) type lighting. HID fixtures were the fixtures of choice for more than 30 years and still continue to be installed in new construction because architects, specifiers and end users have either not been aware of the long-term costs associated with metal halide fixtures or simply did not care by focusing only on the initial fixture costs.

Maintenance Savings

In the long-term, Litro lamps and ballasts on average will outlast HID's by at least 400% and are considerably cheaper to replace.

The Achilles heel of HID lighting is its poor lumen maintenance. The amount of light output produced by an HID lamp decreases dramatically with age. Standard metal halide lamps lose on average 55% of their lumen output by the time they reach their "rated lamp life". Its not uncommon to find HID lamps operating well beyond their rated life producing only 15-25% of their original lumens. The newer style pulse-start lamps fair a little better by retaining around 57% of their lumens and the end of lamp life.

Regardless of how dim the HID lamps get over time they will still use the same amount of electricity as when they were new. If a building owner were to request a set level of light at the workplace he would only get that level for the first few thousand hours of operation, after which time the facility will be perpetually under lit and usually the lamp depreciation will go on unnoticed until long after the lighting contractor is gone. Compare this lumen loss to Litro Lighting that retain up to 75% of their light output over their rated life of 100,000 hours.

Improved Lighting Quality

Workplace lighting is the least expensive and most important component influencing workplace performance. This fact has been documented in numerous studies conducted by colleges and universities, private industry and federal governments around the globe. Numerous case histories illustrate dramatic increases in worker productivity when lighting is improved and equally dramatic, worker productivity drops off when lighting is downgraded.

High workplace productivity is essential for the survival of every business and leads to an increased competitive edge and long-term financial stability for the firm. Litro Lighting fixtures and lamps feature the highest color rendering of any fixture on the market with a natural 5,000 Kelvin color temperature. Litro Lights with their enhanced scotopic qualities have been shown to increase contrast recognition leading to lower error rates, increased safety and improved energy levels in a work environment.

Instant Re-Strike

All HID bulbs when shut off must cool in order to be restarted. This time is typically a minimum of 10-15 minutes making it difficult, if not impossible, to use occupancy sensors or even simply change a burnt out bulb quickly. Litro Lighting fixtures offer instant re-striking with no waiting for the lamps to restart and can easily accommodate occupancy or daylight censors.

UV Emissions & Fire Risks

All HID bulbs produce a considerable amount of UV-A and some UV-B. The higher mounting heights help to mitigate its effects but UV emissions are still striking the surface of objects and employees. There have been instances where a cracked bulb has resulted in UV emissions great enough to sunburn large quantities of people at sporting events. HID arc tube ruptures have been known to cause fires in warehouses and industrial applications.

The National Electrical Manufacturing Association (NEMA) recommends that HID lights be switched off for 15-minute periods because the periodic cycling of the lamp and the subsequent cooling and heating of the arc tube allows for cracks to propagate while the internal arc tube pressure is low preventing a violent failure and fire (the bulb will burst during start-up). In addition, NEMA advises customers not to store flammable, combustible or oxidizing materials beneath any HID luminaries.

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