How to Choose the Right Fixtures and Partner for an LED Retrofit

3 min read - Commercial

When it’s time for an LED retrofit, energy service companies (ESCOs) and lighting retrofit contractors have many potential fixtures and lighting providers to choose from. Whether it’s a one-for-one swap of existing fixtures for upgraded lights or a more complex re-grid of lighting and electrical systems in a facility, the right fixtures — and partnership from an LED lighting provider — make all the difference.

So, what should ESCOs and contractors look for in LED retrofit fixtures, and what are the benefits of collaborating with an LED lighting provider throughout the project?

Important LED Fixture Considerations 

The purpose of a customer’s project must be top of mind. Is the facility aiming to lower energy costs by replacing their old fluorescent or HID lights? Are they upgrading to meet certain lighting requirements, either their own or by law

With this foundational knowledge obtained, consider the following. 

Durability & Lifespan

Fixtures with the lowest upfront costs may not be durable enough to withstand what’s required of them. Understand the lighting provider’s quality standards, know where fixtures are manufactured, and insist on those with a long lifespan. The more you can surpass the minimum 50,000 hours of typical LED life, the better — because a longer lifespan means less maintenance, less warranty involvement, and longer sustained light levels.

The HARRIS LED High Bay Star Line High Efficacy, Gen 2, for example, has a calculated L70 rating of 219,000 hours.

Facility Annual Hours of Operation & Potential Energy Savings

Once you’ve learned the annual hours of operation based on the facility’s shift schedule, find the LEDs that match the scale of their operations and provide the necessary kWh to help the customer save on energy costs.

Additionally, consider adding lighting controls for system automation so your customers can enjoy an even bigger return on investment.

What a Lighting Provider Can Do to Make Your Job Easier

Proper Packaging & Labeling

Pallets of unmarked light fixtures and accessories create unnecessary work during installation. The right lighting provider assists you with labels matched to materials for allocation to specific areas in a facility to help streamline the installation process.

Rebates 

Look at which rebates are available for a lighting provider’s DLC® products. Can they help cover some of the costs of the project or others in the pipeline? Some rebates have the potential to cover 50% or more of the project’s cost! 

Added Value When Partnering with Orion

Orion collaborates with ESCOs to build relationships that are mutually beneficial not just to the partners but to the end-use customer as well. Working with us, you have several business models to choose from.

“From custom solution options to quick customer service response times to on-site product adjustments based on customer needs, we get outstanding service in a variety of ways through our partnership with Orion. What might take 5-6 weeks working with other organizations may take less than half the time through Orion. That makes a huge difference for us and our customers.”

— Dan Gould, President and CEO, Synergy Investment, Inc.

A few of these models include Orion supplying the products while you manage the project, or Orion identifying a project, selling lights to the end-user, and hiring an ESCO to complete the install. Not all projects fit into one of our existing models, so we’re flexible depending on what’s needed.

No matter what the arrangement, you’ll receive unmatched support as we find how we can make any retrofit project easier to manage for our partners.

Orion promises:

  • Industry-best lead times: Stay on schedule with products delivered on time
  • Clearly labeled fixture packaging: Save time by immediately knowing where all lights need to be installed
  • High-quality products: No cutting corners
  • Follow-through on commitments: No broken promises
  • Sales leads: We deliver leads for upcoming projects
  • Transparency: Get the ins and outs of the products and processes to ensure you’re receiving the best
  • Sales support: You’ll be given a single point of contact at Orion to streamline communication
  • Warranty follow-up: We’ll look out for the best warranty coverage for maximum results
  • Valuable annual rebates: We offer annual rebates to our partners based on their annual sales volume

And that’s just a sample of the value-adds a partnership with Orion provides. If you’d like more details about our existing partnership program, click the link below and feel free to reach out with any questions.

Partner-with-Orion

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