From cloud-based controls to customizable options, today’s lighting solutions offer a plethora of energy efficient features that are light years ahead. Find out what energy efficient lighting solutions are available to help refrigerated and frozen food facilities obtain sustainability, LEED certification and more.

Epoxy potted LED lighting
Banner Engineering Corp., Minneapolis, released a series of WLA-encapsulated, epoxy potted LED work lights. Developed to operate in harsh environments, these heavy-duty, stainless-steel lights can withstand washdown and spray from water, coolants, detergents and more. Key features include glass or polycarbonate windows and resistance to hot, high-pressure water and cleaning chemicals. Plus, they do not frost or condense with temperature changes.

“Many companies in the food and beverage industry or consumer packaged goods have policies restricting glass on the plant floor,” says Mark Schmid, business development manager. “Banner offers LEDs with heavy duty borosilicate glass or polycarbonate windows [that are] in compliance with these policies.”

Wireless lighting controls
Over the last nine months, Cree, Durham, N.C., introduced a plethora of lighting solutions. For warehouse settings, the Cree CXB high-bay LED luminaire is said to be the first LED fixture designed to compete directly with traditional high-bay luminaires. It delivers up to 23,000 lumens and offers an ideal replacement for outdated warehouses and distribution facility lighting where energy savings and reducing re-lamp maintenance costs are high.

For retailers, the Cree LS Series linear luminaries deliver strong vertical light levels, while the Cree CR Series LED troffers are designed to last 100,000 hours, while enhancing store aesthetics. The Cree LED T8 Series lamp is said to be the first linear fluorescent replacement lamp to deliver a color rendering index of 90 for front-of-house retail applications.

“Earlier this year, Cree introduced SmartCast technology, the first self-programming wireless lighting control system that reduces energy consumption by more than 70%,” says Amit Bhojraj, segment marketing manager. “SmartCast technology enables end-users to further the energy saving potential by removing the initial and ongoing complexities associated with lighting controls, allowing warehouse distributors and cold storage food providers to realize the full savings potential of LED lighting with benefits—from cost to simplicity and lifetime. SmartCast technology fills a tremendous gap for these applications and can reduce energy consumption significantly with the simplicity of the lights, dimmers and an innovative 1-button feature.”

Cloud-based lighting
Dialight, Farmingdale, N.J., launched new Vigilant LED high bay with cloud-based smart controls, a system that combines all of the advantages of LED lighting for cold storage applications with remote monitoring and control capability.

“At 125 lumens per watt, the new Vigilant is already the most efficient high-bay fixture on the market,” says Michael Schratz, vice president of marketing. “The addition of wireless connectivity to each fixture and cloud-based controls allows facility managers to configure custom programming to operate the lights only when they’re absolutely needed for maximum efficiency. In many cold storage environments, conventional lights must be left on 24/7 to avoid the prolonged warm-up period. But, our Vigilant with controls features built-in ambient light sensors and programmable on/off/dimming that allows for daylight harvesting.”

Customizable industrial lighting solutions
Hubbell Industrial Lighting, Greenville, S.C., introduced the HBL Series LED high bay, a premium LED high-bay fixture that offers a customizable industrial lighting solution in an eco-smart package. Delivering 5,000°K light, this lighting solution offers up to 100 lumens per watt and is ideal for large interior spaces such as processing plants, warehouse distribution centers and cold storage sites.

“The HBL Series housing is made from rugged cast aluminum and features a unique radical fin design that allows for optimal thermal efficiency, heat dissipation and operation in cold environments (down to -40°C),” says Joe Engle, product manager. “And, with Hubbell Lighting’s wiHUBB wireless controls systems, facility managers can set automatic timers to save even more on electricity bills.”

Variety of distribution patterns
Kenall Lighting’s new high-bay Max luminaires deliver 23,500-35,000 lumens, available in a variety of distribution patterns, including aisle lighters, sconces, under-cabinet, cleanroom and parking lots, among others.

“The textured optical lens we designed for our high bays provides unprecedented glare reduction, which is too often overlooked in LED design,” says Bruce Burton, director of product marketing for the Kenosha, Wis.-based company. “Because you don’t have a long warmup cycle with LED fixtures, they are particularly compatible with new lighting controls that incorporate daylight harvesting and occupancy sensors to reduce energy waste.”

Vapor-tight fixtures
Orion Energy Systems, Inc., Manitowoc, Wis., introduced the new ISON high-bay LED fixture, designed for cold storage applications with temperatures ranging from -22°F to 131°F.

Orion Energy Systems also offers a vapor-tight fixture that is sealed and gasketed for cold, wet areas, as well as a strip fixture conversion kit ideal for multi-level mezzanine areas.

“The sensors offer complete shutdown and instant startup across all temperatures,” says Josh Kurtz, senior vice president of sales. “We have found that by using these sensors, the lighting in freezer applications is in shutdown mode 85-95% of the time, which offers a huge reduction in energy savings.”

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