Starbucks in lighting alliance with GE

Seattle Starbucks Coffee Co. has begun retrofitting the halogen and incandescent lighting in its stores with LED lights. The lighting conversion program is the result of an alliance with GE Consumer & Industrial to develop a solution that will help reduce energy consumption as well as utility and maintenance costs at Starbucks stores around the world.

The chain began implementing the LED conversion program in all company-owned U.S. stores, and has completed more than 1,000 locations to date. It plans to expand the program to international markets in March 2010, and hopes to complete installation in more than 8,000 company-owned stores around the world by the end of 2010. Starbucks credits LEDs with a projected 7% per-store reduction in energy use, which will contribute to the company’s goal of achieving a 25% reduction in energy use by the end of 2010.

Starbucks first explored substituting its incandescent and halogen lighting with LEDs in 2008. But it couldn’t find a commercially available product that met its functional and aesthetic requirements. It reached out to GE to identify a solution. With input from Starbucks about its specific needs, GE developed a highly energy-efficient LED product that also complements the chain’s store-design strategy and fits existing fixtures.

“Our team jumped at the chance to create a GE-quality LED solution that could meet Starbuck’s stringent efficiency and color-quality requirements,” said Michael Petras, president and CEO, GE Consumer & Industrial’s lighting and electrical business. Starbucks’ aggressive moves on the conservation front will have far-reaching environmental and financial impacts. Other GE customers will benefit from these achievements.”