When Collection Auto Group learned it could save more than it would spend to light its lots with new outdoor LED fixtures, the Ohio-based auto dealer struck a sweet deal with GE Lighting. As the proud new owner of GE’s energy-efficient ecomagination℠ Evolve™ LED Area Lights, Collection Auto Group’s five-year lighting expense will be discounted by nearly $400,000 as the result of using 660,000 fewer kilowatt hours (kWhs) while virtually eliminating upkeep for years to come.

“Lighting in a car dealership is extremely important for a few reasons”

Operating across Northeast Ohio, Collection Auto Group represents 21 brands including Mercedes-Benz, Maserati and Aston Martin. The company’s goal is to convert all of its 14 dealerships to new outdoor LED lighting in the next 12 months, starting with its flagship Mercedes-Benz location in North Olmsted.

Phase one of the project will see six existing dealerships fit with Evolve LED fixtures, as well as two new lots currently under construction. Going forward, GE’s outdoor LED lighting will be specified for all Collection Auto Group new construction.

“Lighting in a car dealership is extremely important for a few reasons,” says Bernie Moreno, president of Collection Auto Group. “Of course we have a lot of inventory, so we’ve got to make sure the vehicles are safely displayed outside. Secondly, dealerships use lighting to capture your attention as you're driving by. And third, the light must represent the color of the vehicle properly. A lot of lights out there can make a car’s color look wrong, and that really affects the customer experience in a very bad way.”

Over the next year, Evolve LED Area Lights drawing between 101 and 217 watts will replace predominantly 400- and 1,000-watt high-intensity discharge (HID) fixtures at Collection Auto Group’s Mercedes-Benz, Nissan (Middleburg Heights), Acura/Infiniti (Cleveland), Maserati (Cleveland) and Buick/GMC (Beachwood) dealerships.

Combining energy and maintenance reductions, the lighting swap will save Collection Auto Group nearly $77,000 a year (based on a $0.11 kWh rate and 12 hours of operation a day). GE’s comprehensive outdoor LED lighting solution includes pole-mounted fixtures and wall packs attached to buildings, bathing the lots in crisp, white, uniform light.

In addition to Evolve LED Area Lights in its lots, GE is providing Collection Auto Group with more energy-efficient indoor linear fluorescent and LED fixtures in some locations, including its corporate office building.