Archives

Great Clips

Great Clips on Fayetteville Road in Raleigh was looking to save on escalating operating costs and contacted GreenTech Solutions Groups for options in lighting its store. High monthly electric bills were a growing concern since the salon was equipped with 4-foot T8 fluorescent fixtures and operates 7 days a week for 12 hours a day.

GreenTech took into consideration reducing the glare factor and providing the best color temperature with the LED lighting upgrade. The outdated T8 fluorescents were replaced with 4000K 40W LED panel lights equipped with step dimming to maximize energy savings. The upgrade resulted in an impressive 73% reduction in lighting energy use and operational costs.

The project gave Great Clips higher quality light and brightness and improved color rendition (CRI). The integrated step dimming feature allows for three levels of light output dimming down to 50% and 10% light output based on ambient light levels further reducing the power consumption. A generous rebate from Duke Energy Progress paid for nearly 54% of the total project, ultimately reducing the payback period to 2.2 years.

Stratford Metal Finishing

Founded in 1965, Stratford Metal Finishing is a full-service metal finishing shop providing high-quality electroplating and metal finishing. The company operates around the clock, 365 days a year from its state-of-the-art facility built in 2008. Stratford Metal Finishing is one of the only purpose-built facilities in the Southeast and the company prides itself on being EPA-approved and environmentally friendly, so it made perfect sense for the company to contact GreenTech to help improve cost and efficiency with LED lighting.

Greentech Solutions Group upgraded lighting throughout the 50,000 square-foot facility with energy-efficient LED technology that resulted in the following benefits:

  • 77% reduction in annual lighting energy usage
  • 1.5 year payback period
  • $27,435 annual energy savings
  • 45% cost savings in rebates
  • 375,823 kWh reduction in annual lighting energy usage
  • 77% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions

GreenTech replaced legacy lighting in the manufacturing areas and offices. Outdated T12 and T8 fixtures were upgraded with LED panel lighting and high efficiency LED highbays throughout the facility. LED panel step dimmer controls were also installed to increase efficiency and provide customizable lighting needs in each office. The retrofit greatly improved lighting levels throughout the metal plating building helping employees to become more efficient while improving safety in the working environment.

Greentech secured $33,945 in rebates from the Duke Energy: Smart $aver Incentive Program. With generous rebates and outstanding energy savings, the payback period for the Stratford is only 1.5 years.

By replacing the existing inefficient lighting technology, Stratford Metal Finishing’s facility is truly state-of-the-art and ecologically conscientious. The company continues to be a shining example of environmental stewardship for other businesses to emulate.

Glad Tidings Church

gladtidings2

Glad Tidings Church, located in Morehead City, NC, looked to GreenTech Solutions Group to upgrade the lighting in the church’s sanctuary. The sanctuary is used eight hours weekly for services, plus it is also used for weddings, funerals, plays, and rehearsals. Since the room is heavily utilized by the congregation, the upgrade resulted in a 92% reduction in lighting energy annually.

The lighting upgrade involved replacing all current halogen and incandescent lights with new energy efficient LED lighting fixtures throughout the sanctuary. Not only with the church experience 92% in lighting energy savings, but the longevity of the LED technology will virtually eliminate the need to service the lights. An immediate incentive of $1,100 helped finance the project.

  • 92% reduction in annual lighting energy
  • 17,381 kWh annual savings
  • 92% reduction in CO2 emissions
  • 100% reduction in maintenance

Due to the lighting retrofit, the church will now see a 17,381 kWh in annual savings and a 92% reduction in CO2 emissions. That is the equivalent of 28.3 barrels of oil consumed.

The Glad Tidings Church will continue to save substantially on its lighting energy. It will experience a savings of $41,837 over the next 20 years, proving no energy upgrade is too small to save money.

Parker Marine

parkermarinesavingsbannergrey

Parker Marine Enterprises, Inc. experienced a 75% reduction in annual lighting energy usage after a complete lighting system retrofit by GreenTech Solutions Group. Through the additional use of dimming sensors that detect if an area of the facility is occupied, Parker Marine was able reduce its annual operation costs by 78%. A summary of benefits includes the following:

  • 75% reduction in annual lighting energy usage
  • 308,561 kWh reduction in annual lighting energy usage
  • 78% reduction in annual operational costs
  • $42,412 in annual operational cost savings
  • 75% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
  • 3.5 year payback period
  • 21232 trees saved; 49 acres of trees planted; and 70 fewer cars on the road

Parker Marine of Beaufort, NC is a family-owned business that manufactures exceptional center consoles, bay boats, and sport cabin boats. Parker proudly serves commercial and governmental agencies, manufacturing recreational and high-tech sports boats for use around the world.

Parker Marine wanted to upgrade its 200,000+ square-foot facility to reduce energy consumption, while improving lighting conditions in the working areas. After meeting with a few other groups, they chose GreenTech to improve lighting that ultimately increased productivity and allowed employees to more clearly inspect workmanship and improved the quality of the delivered product. GreenTech also helped them take advantage of all rebates and incentives available to further reduce the cost of the overall project.

greentech-parker-marine

GreenTech provided a lighting system that maximized lighting output with high-lumen LED fixtures. Legacy metal halide fixtures in the main manufacturing areas were replaced with efficient Philips highbay LEDs. Other zones identified as either non-critical or low-occupancy areas were accessorized with occupancy sensors. These sensors are programmed to automatically dim to 50 percent lighting after 10 minutes of no movement detection and increase to 100 percent only if motion is detected. Additionally, daylight harvesting sensors were programmed in fixtures in their manufacturing area to allow Parker Marine take full advantage of the existing skylights in that part of the facility. The fixtures now dim at predetermined levels of light based on the amount of ambient sunlight coming into the building. This not only maximizes light output in given areas, but reduces the amount of energy consumed and further prolongs the life of the existing fixtures.

“Mr. Parker (CEO of Parker Marine) was very forward-thinking in incorporating control options in key areas of the facility to maximize additional energy savings. His enthusiasm and commitment to his company and their employees is second to none,” said GreenTech Solutions Group CEO Glenn Edmonds.

Outdated T12 fluorescent fixtures in all other areas, such as office spaces, restrooms, and common areas throughout the facility, were upgraded to LED lighting that delivered better, brighter, more efficient spaces, while reducing the carbon footprint of the company’s operations.

To that end, the lighting retrofit for Parker Marine not only saved the company $42,412 in operation costs yearly, but it delivered a 75% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, which is the equivalent of planting 21,232 trees or taking 70 cars off the road.

“We truly enjoyed working with Parker Marine to improve the lighting in their facility and save them money for many more years to come,” said Edmonds “We commend the folks at Parker for being an example of environmental stewardship.”

After nearly one year of operation, Parker Marine analyzed their utility statements to recognize a reduction in overall energy usage that exceeds GreenTech’s projected estimates. Much of these savings are credited to the precise use of additional control options utilized in the retrofit. Furthermore, the elimination of constant and costly maintenance associated with the old lighting system provides additional financial benefits for years to come.

Acucote, Inc.

acucotesaingsgrey

Headquartered in Graham, NC, Acucote Inc. is a trusted supplier of custom, specialty, high-value, and unique pressure-sensitive adhesive solutions since 1987. Acucote has made innovation, customization, and customer-involved product development its core business.

Acucote also takes pride in being as environmentally responsible as possible and ensuring sustainable practices in every area of their operations. The company continues to make strides toward offsetting adverse effects on the environment by reducing its ecological footprint. Through careful selection of adhesives, extensive recycling efforts and other environmental programs, Acucote has dramatically reduced their impact on solid waste, water, and energy resources.

When the company was looking to upgrade their current lighting, they sought out the help of GreenTech to retrofit the existing outdated lighting throughout the administrative, manufacturing, and shipping areas with energy efficient LED lighting. The upgrade greatly improved the working conditions in those areas while reducing the overall energy costs by utilizing a combination of LED highbays, task and panel lights. External lighting conditions were also improved with new LED wallpacks and flood lights. Occupancy sensors and dimmers were installed to further increase energy efficiency and bring about a 67 percent reduction in Acucote’s lighting energy consumption in its 80,000 square-foot facility.

GreenTech worked closely with Acucote to provide recommendations on solutions vital to productions thus eliminating all T12 fluorescents and outdated metal halide highbays. This resulted in more efficient lighting throughout the manufacturing areas, administrative offices, and the shipping annex. The retrofit delivers a 664,946 kWh reduction in annual lighting energy usage and $66,494 in annual operational cost savings. The LED lighting upgrade also brings a 469,328 kg decrease in greenhouse gases produced, which is the equivalent of 52,811 gallons of gasoline consumed or 99 fewer cars on the road.

The financial benefits were the following:

  • 67% reduction in annual lighting energy usage and costs
  • 7-month payback period
  • 664,946 kWh reduction in annual lighting energy usage
  • $66,494 in annual operational cost savings
  • 70% cost savings in rebates and incentives

GreenTech secured more than $100,000 in incentives for Acucote, including Duke Energy rebates and a $38,000 REAP grant from the USDA. These incentives subsidized more than 70 percent of the entire lighting project. In all, GreenTech’s energy efficient lighting package will increase productivity, reduce operating expenses, and provide for better safety and security while providing a payback of only 7 months.

Download the Press Release

Kingsdown Inc.

kingsdownsavingsbannergrey

Kingsdown has been crafting mattresses in the heart of North Carolina since 1904 and since that time they have been handcrafting the world’s smartest luxury mattresses. Their approach to manufacturing involves a steadfast commitment to sleep health – backed by research, data collection, and meticulous testing. They believe a quality mattress results in improving the quality of your sleep and in turn, the quality of your life.

Kingsdown used the same committed approach when they wanted to improve the lighting quality, efficiency, and lumen output for their 98,000-square foot plant in Mebane, NC and nearby corporate headquarters. GreenTech coincidentally approached Kingsdown shortly after they consulted with Duke Energy on the viability of such a project. They were looking for a turnkey solution to upgrade to energy efficient LED lighting in an effort to improve working conditions in the warehouse and the offices and reduce operating costs, and GreenTech provided a perfect match.

“The product and service provided by GreenTech exceeded my expectations. Their team made the entire process extremely easy and they did not impact our ability to produce our product at all during the installation. From the planning stage all the way to the disposal of old equipment and clean-up, the project was well managed.” Michael Shoe, Kingsdown VP Manufacturing

GreenTech worked with Kingsdown providing recommendations on eliminating T12 strip fixtures and aged Metal Halide highbays as well as solutions to maximize critical production lighting. The result was more efficient lighting in key areas and balanced light levels across the plant. The LED panel lights beautified the offices, shops, workout area, and cafeteria providing for customizable light levels for each individual preference.

Greentech-Kingsdown-lighting-retrofit-6

The financial benefits were equally as beneficial:

  • 73% reduction in annual lighting energy usage
  • 1.3 year payback
  • 347,560 kWh reduction in annual lighting energy usage
  • $27,109 in annual operating savings
  • 70% cost savings in rebates and incentives

In addition, Kingsdown reduced their adverse impact on the environment that is often experienced with the old lighting technologies. In replacing all of the existing metal halide magnetic fixtures with LED linear highbay fixtures, along with LED panel lights and retrofit kits, the plant has significantly reduced its carbon footprint with approximately a 73% reduction in CO2 emissions.

“The detailed project prospectus they provided allowed us to easily present the project to our management team for the approvals needed to get this project going. Their knowledge of the incentives and rebates and assistance in completing the rebate applications was a key factor in selecting them for the job. After the project was completed, GreenTech followed up multiple times to make sure everything was performing as designed. They are a great company to do business with.” Michael Shoe, Kingsdown VP Manufacturing

kingsdownofficesavingsbannergrey

Kingsdown continued to use GreenTech’s lighting solutions in their downtown office headquarters. Offices, showrooms, and restroom were retrofitted with LED panel lights. These upgrades not only greatly improved the quality of lighting for these areas, but it also accomplished the following:

  • 75% reduction in annual lighting energy usage
  • 75% reduction in operating costs
  • 1 year payback
  • 59,810 kWh reduction in annual lighting energy usage
  • 75% cost savings in rebates and incentives

Through GreenTech’s efforts, Kingsdown was able to secure various prescriptive and custom rebates along with generous REAP grants of $30,000 for the plant and nearly $5,000 for the headquarters. Kingsdown is grateful for GreenTech’s assistance in making their manufacturing plant, showrooms, and offices a better, brighter, more energy efficient place to work. Kingsdown exemplifies an environmentally conscientious company that cares not only about making a quality product for their customers, but also about making an ecological impact in the process.

Download the Press Release

Upper Room Church of God in Christ

churchsavingsbannergrey

The Upper Room Church of God in Christ, located in Raleigh, NC contacted Duke Progress for assistance on rebates for lighting in various rooms within the facility, especially the church’s sanctuary. Duke Progress then turned to various Trade Allies to provide an assessment of the facility and recommendations for energy efficient light upgrades. GreenTech was selected as the vendor of choice to provide the best solution that combined a strong return on investment and a quick payback.

GreenTech-upperroom-leds

The sanctuary was refitted with T8 LED tubes to enhance the stage lighting as well as in the seating areas, virtually eliminating the need for maintenance for many years to come. The light levels were increased to achieve even, consistent lighting levels throughout a space with various elevations.
A summary of benefits was the following:

  • 69% reduction in annual lighting energy usage
  • $23,450 savings through energy incentives
  • 1.6 year payback period
  • 129,524 kWh reduction in annual lighting energy use
  • $19,428 savings in annual operational costs

“GreenTech was truly a one-stop shop for all our lighting needs; from the assessment to the financing, to the installation and the rebates.” Upper Room Church Executive Administrator Evangelist Wanda Thomas

The remainder of the church- including a multipurpose room, fellowship room, offices, and hallways- were all up-fitted with energy efficient LED panel lights. Each of the panels are equipped with automatic dimming switches for additional energy savings. These LED panel lights provide a beautiful, glare-free output that offers flexibility throughout each space with multiple levels of dimming for individual space preferences.

The Upper Room Church will now enjoy a 69% reduction in energy consumption and maintenance costs. The annual operating savings is estimated at over $20,000/year with additional savings when combined with the dimming feature. The church engaged in a lease opportunity to fund the lighting retrofit, allowing the Upper Room Church to spread out its initial investment over time and use the money it saves on utility costs to pay for the new lighting and other efficiency projects. By leasing, the church enjoyed immediate savings by minimizing its initial capital investment while experiencing a monthly cash flow positive scenario!

“We were unsure just how to tackle our lighting issues, so to have the people at GreenTech to take us through every step of the process was a blessing.” Evangelist Wanda Thomas

GreenTech also assisted in securing more than $22,000 in energy rebates through the Duke Progress Energy Efficiency for Business Program on behalf of the church to reduce the total cost financed, ultimately reducing the payback period to 1.6 years.

Thanks to the output of the T8 LEDs and the LED panel lights, each area of the church is able to be illuminated at higher levels than it was with the previous, dated lighting system. Pastor Patrick Lane Wooden, Sr., Sister Wanda Thomas and the church elders, and the congregants are thrilled with the new energy efficient lighting throughout their church. Thomas added, “We were unsure just how to tackle our lighting issues, so to have the people at GreenTech to take us through every step of the process was a blessing.” The Upper Room staff were such a pleasure to work with, and we are thankful they selected GreenTech to deliver a lighting upgrade for their place of worship.

Download the Press Release

Apex Aridyne Corporation

apexsavingsbannergrey

The Apex Mills family of companies was founded in 1943. Originally started as a reseller to the bridal and apparel industries, it soon evolved into a supplier and manufacturer of warp knit fabrics geared towards industrial applications.

Greentech-apex-mills

Every textile Apex Mills produces comes from their mill, Apex Aridyne, located in Graham, North Carolina. The 200,000-square foot mill employs more than 100 experienced local workers who are dedicated to producing the highest quality textiles in the industry. The mill operates 24 hours a day, five days a week. They take pride in the U.S.-based mill and continually invest in the facility to make sure it lives up to the high expectations of their customers.

Apex Mills is rapidly heading towards a more sustainable approach to manufacturing textiles. They are dedicated to making production practices more sustainable, because they believe preserving the environment is not only a concern of theirs and their customers, but because it’s the right thing to do. To that end, Apex Aridyne Corp. looked to GreenTech to update the existing lighting in the mill to improve the lighting conditions, reduce their cost of energy, and alleviate the time and cost of replacing inefficient lamps and ballasts.

“With a keen focus on industry trends and the needs of our customers, Apex Mills consistently looks to bring new textile advancements to market. Keeping our mill functioning efficiently and giving our employees the tools they need to grow is the core of doing business well. I am thankful to GreenTech for not only making us more energy efficient, but for helping us receive rebates that we can reinvest into the business to benefit our employees, community and customers.” Jonathan Kurz, CEO & Owner

GreenTech carefully gathered data on Apex Aridyne’s current lighting configuration for insight into its energy usage, operational costs, and existing light levels. Legacy lamp wattage and ballasts specifications were taken into consideration to create an average wattage consumption for each fixture. GreenTech then designed a retrofit layout for the building which resulted in more than 75 percent reduction in Apex Aridyne’s energy consumption and maintenance cost. The upgrade provided for 2.5 times higher light levels throughout the facility.

“We love the lighting, however, I was even happier when my boss told me we received the generous lighting rebates that GreenTech had projected.” Jay Huffman, Apex Mills Operations Manager.

In addition to the energy savings, GreenTech helped Apex Mills receive rebates from Duke Energy as well as securing a 25% grant from the USDA. In all, the incentives helped to subsidize more than 70% of the cost of the project, dramatically reducing the payback period. Furthermore, the operations manager has been relieved of the constant replacement of T12 and metal halide technology. The result is a safer, more efficient workplace with the following financial benefits:

  • 1.5 year payback period
  • 76% reduction of lighting energy and maintenance cost
  • 892,642 kWh reduction in annual lighting energy usage
  • $69,378 in annual operational cost savings

Download the Press Release

Macra Lace

macralacesavingsbanner

For 39 years Macra Lace company has carefully and pridefully crafted lace fabrics for apparel, intimate apparel, and home textiles out of its 150,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Oxford, NC. They looked for a vendor who could provide a solution to replace their outdated and inefficient T12s and metal halides to reduce their operating costs.

GreenTech recommended a combination of LED high bays and tubes retrofitting existing fixtures wherever possible to reduce costs. The result was a dramatic improvement in lighting and a 69% reduction in energy consumption yielding an estimated savings of 809,000 kWh/yr, which is comparable to taking 120 cars off of the road. Through the achievement of such savings and with the rebate assistance of the Duke Progress Energy Efficiency for Business Program, Macra Lace is set to experience a 1.6 year payback.

After three months the plant manager says he loves the energy savings, however, not having to replace T12 bulbs every day is his favorite benefit!

Jarrett Bay Boatworks

jarrettbaysaavings

With support from GreenTech Solutions Group, Jarrett Bay Boatworks worked with state and federal programs to achieved 59% reduction in emissions and 64% annual reduction in operational cost for their multiple facilities totaling over 125,000 square feet. Jarrett Bay’s management team began their energy consumption overhaul by receiving an assessment sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Manufacturing program and conducted by NC State University’s Industrial Assessment Center’s Director and his team of graduate students.

With NCSU’s initial assessment and proposal in hand, Jarrett Bay consulted with GreenTech Solutions due to their specialty in applying cutting-edge technologies that improve the work environment while reducing energy expenses. NCSU’s recommendation of replacing the 375W metal halide fixtures with T5s and T8s was taken one step further by GreenTech by encouraging replacements with Philips LED lighting.  GreenTech was able to deliver a solution that provides a safer and more luminous workplace for the nearly 200 Jarrett Bay employees in Beaufort, NC. In addition, the company enjoyed generous energy savings while shrinking its carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions.

A project of this scale is typically cost-prohibitive, however, due to GreenTech’s recommendations, the realized annual energy savings, in conjunction with a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant, plus a partnership with the Carteret-Craven Electrical Cooperative in the form of a rebate, Jarrett Bay was able to achieve a payback for the complete project in roughly three years.