Linear fluorescent lamps account for 83 percent of installed lamps in the California commercial sector per a lighting market characterization performed in 2014. LED lighting products are receiving attention for their potential to replace fluorescent lighting, reduce energy use and improve lighting quality in a variety of indoor commercial applications, including offices, classrooms and retail stores. LED alternatives to linear fluorescent lighting products fall into three main categories: linear retrofit lamp solutions, linear retrofits for troffers and dedicated luminaires. This evaluation focuses on LED linear retrofit kits paired with advanced lighting control systems (ALCS) in retail applications.
To evaluate the performance of LED linear retrofit kits paired with ALCS, the project team partnered with a local retailer, Watermelon Music located in Davis, CA, and installed a retrofit lighting system including ALCS designed to meet IES recommended light levels for retail applications. Measurement and verification of the system was conducted to quantify its photometric performance and the energy savings of the approach. System performance comparisons were made between the fluorescent lighting system that was in place when the site was selected (referred to as ‘as-is’), the ‘as-is’ system after it was re-lamped (referred to as ‘re-lamped’), the LED retrofit lighting system with no controls, and the LED retrofit combined with multiple control strategies enabled by the ALCS. Energy savings were derived from measured energy use obtained during each phase of the demonstration.