Jan 17, 2023

Case Study: Arc's Value Village Lighting Improvements

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Project Background

Arc’s Value Village began the process of upgrading to LED lighting after a One-Stop Efficiency Shop lighting consultant visited their Richfield location and noticed outdated, inefficient lighting throughout the store. The lighting consultant knew the store could benefit greatly from LEDs and offered a free lighting assessment. He discovered the store was dealing with failing fluorescent bulbs and at-capacity circuits. Maintenance was difficult and time consuming for in-store employees and finding bulbs with matching color and temperature was a challenge. The lighting consultant learned that two other Arc’s Value Village stores in the area dealt with similar problems but lacked the capital needed for upgrades. Fortunately, CEE’s One-Stop Efficiency Shop was the perfect solution to provide low-interest, nonprofit financing, bring in qualified contractors for bidding, find the best rebates and equipment for the space, and maximize savings for upgrades at all three locations. 

Facility Assessment

The Richfield location needed lights that would be longer lasting, easier to maintain, and uniform in color and temperature, and would lower the overall building energy use. After performing a free lighting assessment, the One-Stop lighting consultant created a customized report with recommendations, estimated payback periods, energy savings, and rebates to help the Arc’s Value Village team make the best decisions. The lighting consultant connected the organization to grant funding available through the City of Richfield and EnerChange to help cover upgrade costs and reduce payback periods.  

Improvements

The lighting consultant recommended an extremely high performance, low wattage LED T8 with the same color and consistency throughout the store to maximize cost-savings and improve customer experience. The new lights are much easier to maintain and have a five-year warranty to cover the cost of replacement. With uniform brightness and color, the lighting quality throughout the store has dramatically improved. 

Learn more about the One-Stop Efficiency Shop

Learn more about Richfield grant funding

"Energy savings and the maintenance issues were biggest reasons we decided to upgrade to LEDs. Rebates helped make the decision easier."

Greg Rue, Director of Thrift Business

Project Impact

Problems

  • Frequent fluorescent bulb and ballast burnouts
  • Costly and frequent maintenance
  • Mismatched lighting colors
  • Circuits at capacity

Results

  • Reduced maintenance costs
  • Improved lighting quality and customer experience
  • Reduced overall energy load
  • Utilized CEE’s low-interest, nonprofit financing and grant funding

Rebates and Savings - All Three Locations

  • $22,182 in annual savings
  • 1.4-year average payback period
  • $32,166 rebate
  • 207,700 kWh saved