When Monroe Lee, owner of KIA AutoSport, began design on a new KIA dealership in Columbus, Ga., he decided to investigate lighting solutions that delivered bright, high-quality light while helping to reduce energy consumption in one of the facility's key areas: dealer lots.

Outdoor lighting in lots is one of the most important areas to consider when upgrading auto dealer lighting, as it is often the first impression customers see when entering the facility, as well as one of the largest users of electricity at a dealership.
 

Upgrading to GE's Evolve™ LED Area Lights resulted in a 20-33 percent increase in energy savings and reduced maintenance costs for KIA AutoSport.(photo source: Georgia Power)

“We tried to use energy-saving techniques throughout the whole design of this new dealership, which included energy-efficient lighting fixtures and timers to control when the lights are on,” said Lee, whose other KIA dealerships use traditional metal halide high intensity discharge (HID) fixtures.

The result, said Lee, was a 20-33 percent increase in energy savings and reduced maintenance costs after installing the new lighting fixtures.

Lots of Lighting

Before constructing the new facility, Lee met with Georgia Power, his electric utility partner, to discuss outdoor lighting options. Georgia Power recommended outdoor LED lighting as a good solution for providing both energy savings and the desired quality of light needed to showcase Lee's 350-vehicle inventory.

“Because this was a new facility, lights and poles could be placed to provide optimum coverage and minimize the number and location of poles in vehicle display areas,” explained Dave Smolinski, Senior Market Specialist at Georgia Power. “The unique characteristics and improved uniformity of LED lighting allow it to provide superb lighting coverage with fewer lumens and at a fraction of the HID system wattage.”

Evolve LED Area Lights help to improve energy savings and reduce maintenance costs for auto dealer's new location. (photo source: Georgia Power)

After reviewing lighting options, Lee chose GE's Evolve™ LED Area Lights recommended by Georgia Power for their reduced energy consumption, long rated life and sleek design. Sixty-nine 202-watt Evolve LED Area Lights were mounted on 30 25-foot poles, with a combination of one, two and four fixture mountings per pole. GE's outdoor LED lighting fixtures at KIA AutoSport have a correlated color temperature (CCT) of 4000K and a color rendering index (CRI) of 70.

“Georgia Power completed installation of the GE lighting in July 2012, and I have been amazed at the difference in the lighting compared to my other dealerships,” Lee said. “The light is spread uniformly around the facility without the high and low spots you often see in parking lots.”

GE's exclusive optical ring design efficiently directs light without wasteful and unwelcome light spill into neighboring properties.

“The new LED lighting showcases the cars individually, and really highlights the color of the vehicles on the lot,” continued Lee. “Plus, GE's thin Evolve lighting fixtures have a more elegant look compared to bulky metal halide fixtures.”

Long-Lasting Solutions

By more efficient use of the light they produce, LED lighting is designed to deliver significant reductions in energy usage and maintenance costs when compared to HID and other technologies, which Lee is noticing at his new Columbus location.

“When compared to a similarly sized dealership that I built five years ago using metal halide fixtures, it appears I'm saving between 20-33 percent on energy costs as a result of the LED lighting,” Lee explained. “Plus, I have had no maintenance with the light fixtures since installation a year ago. That was one of the main selling features that put me over the edge. If everything continues to operate smoothly, I anticipate using this same outdoor LED lighting in the remodel of my other KIA dealership locations.”