Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores updates parking lot and interiors for efficiency
Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores has reduced energy by switching to solid-state lighting in the parking lot at its Ohio headquarters and adjacent store. The energy-efficient LEDs have also had a positive impact on the overall appearance of the areas.
“We’re seeing an 80% lighting-system energy savings compared with our previous high-intensity discharge units,” said Debbie Mansfield, director, energy and facilities for Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, Hudson, Ohio, which operates more than 751 stores nationwide.
The project involved replacing 52 HID lighting systems that were located on 35 poles with high-efficiency Evolve LED area lights from GE Lighting. The retrofit took place over a four-week period. Equal in size to about six football fields, the 777,350-sq.-ft. parking lot is the largest U.S. installation of GE LED parking or area light systems.
Although the LED system generates less light than the HID units, the advanced optics of the LED luminaries direct the light more efficiently. Jo-Ann is pleased with the results.
“The aesthetics have vastly improved with reductions in both glare and the overspill of light,” Mansfield said. “There’s also an evenness to outdoor LED systems that enhances visibility for visitors and employees, a benefit that can provide a greater sense of security.”
Evolve LED Series Area Lights combine the latest in LED system electronics, thermal management, and mechanical and optical design. The result is 80% or greater energy savings compared with traditional HID lighting, according to GE. Its estimated 10-year service life is four times that of a standard HID system, cutting maintenance hassles and costs.
Interior retrofit: The outdoor lighting installation is projected to reduce Jo-Ann’s annual power use by 200,000 kilowatt (kWh) hours. It followed an indoor lighting retrofit program in which Jo-Ann replaced T12 linear fluorescent lamps and electromagnetic ballasts with more efficient T8 linear fluorescent lamps and electronic ballasts.
The net effect of the indoor retrofit, which involved 592 stores, was a 31.2 million kWh drop in energy consumption.
Jo-Ann is also working to reduce its electrical usage in other ways. Environmental management system controls that manage store temperatures, lighting and sign operations have been installed in 433 locations, for a reduction of 24.4 million kWh annually with 1.5 million kWh annually.
Additionally, the company has retrofitted its California distribution center, replacing all 400- and 1,000-watt high-intensity discharge lighting with more efficient, high-output T5 fluorescent lamps, electronic ballasts and daylight sensors, resulting in a reduction of 1.5 million kWh annually.