Applebee’s reduce lighting-related energy use by 88% with LEDs

Satellite Beach, Fla. -- Lighting Science Group Corp. has collaborated with Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar to monitor, evaluate and markedly reduce energy usage for lighting in Applebee’s 23 company-owned restaurants. Through the installation of ultra-efficient and design-enhancing LED lamps, Applebee’s should net an energy reduction for lighting of 88% per year.



“Replacing outdated incandescent and halogen bulbs made economic sense to us,” said Bill O’Keefe, Applebee’s executive director of development. “The new LED lighting systems make our restaurants more energy efficient and match our design standards, and Lighting Science has been a valuable partner in this process.”



Applebee’s replaced over 3,000 incandescent and halogen lamps with Lighting Science’s 8W A19 LED, 14W BR30 LED, 8W Par20 LED, and 6W MR16 LED. Following the project’s completion, Applebee’s reported an 88% reduction in total energy usage for lighting, sparing an average of 820 kilowatts per year.



The initial cost estimate of the LED lighting retrofit was tempered by utility rebates made possible with the lamps’ Energy Star certifications. A tax deduction through the 2005 Energy Policy Act (EPACT) also applied. Considering these incentives, Applebee’s anticipates a simple payback in a little over seven months.