MSi LED Lights Deliver Huge Savings for Macy's

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla., Dec. 7, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- MSi Solid State Lighting today announced it is helping Macy's to make major strides in its ongoing drive to reduce energy consumption and waste as part of the company's comprehensive program of sustainability and operating efficiency. One of these steps is partnering with LED lamp manufacturers, including MSi Solid State Lighting, to be the first department store company to implement the use of LED accent lighting on a wide scale.

The company is replacing about 117,000 traditional incandescent light bulbs in 86 Macy's stores with new LED bulbs that use about 73 percent less energy. Total energy savings are estimated at about 16,200 megawatts per hour every year, the equivalent of planting more than 65,500 trees. The LED lamps have an expected life of 10 years (compared with less than one year for traditional bulbs), reducing landfill disposal.

The conversion to LED was a simple matter of unscrewing the old lights and screwing in the new ones, but the results were immediate and dramatic. Unlike hot burning halogen lights, the extremely efficient LED lights produce very little heat and within hours of installation, store employees had noticed a drop in the store's temperature. "Many retailers are a little concerned about the initial investment of converting to LED lighting," said Bruce Johnson, MSi managing partner, "But if they take the time to run the numbers as Macy's has, they'll see that switching over produces a tremendous return on their investment."

LED lighting produces savings that go far beyond just cooling cost. LED's use a fraction of the power required by halogen spots while producing a clean, clear light that enhances product displays and merchandise.  

Additional savings are realized in the lower maintenance and replacement cost for LED lighting. The typical 60-watt halogen light burning 12 hours a day will need to be replaced approximately every six months. The new Macy's LED lamps burning 12 hours a day will last for more than a decade.

"When Macy's totaled up all the savings – the reduced power consumption of the lights themselves, air conditioning savings, and the lower cost of maintenance and replacement – they literally saw the light," added Johnson. "They discovered that over the 10-year lifespan of the LED lights they would save millions! We applaud Macy's for leading the way on LED lighting and realizing that investing in LED lighting is like putting money in the bank."

For more information on the MSi iPAR-38, iPAR-30 or iMR-16 or any of MSi's other fine products please visit the website at www.msissl.com or call 888-778-9864.

SOURCE MSi Solid State Lighting