Listen to Episode Three here!

We’re joined by Eric Arroyo, Sona’s VP of National Accounts, to discuss best practices for lighting retail spaces. In this episode, we cover the current state of retail lighting, the impact of upgrading to newer technology, and how retail sites can take the steps to get started. By upgrading your lighting fixtures today, you can save money and energy that funds the energy projects you want to work on tomorrow.

Podcast Transcript

The Clean Energy Chronicles with Sona Energy Solutions – Episode 3

JS: Hello and welcome to The Clean Energy Chronicles! My name is Julia Segal, Marketing Associate with Sona Energy, and we’re back today with Eric Arroyo, Sona’s VP of National Accounts, to discuss today’s topic: lighting in retail. 

JS: Hey Eric! How are you?

EA: Hi Julia. I’m doing well, thanks for having me. I’ve spent about 15 years in the lighting retail space so I’m particularly excited about our conversation today.

JS: Yeah, lighting has really been Sona’s bread and butter from the get-go so I’m also excited to dig more into this topic. So Eric, to get us started, most lighting in retail spaces has been upgraded to LED within the past 10-15 years, is that correct?

EA: That’s correct. Many of the retail sites we work with have upgraded once or even twice to LED for some or all of their locations.

JS: And once these upgrades have been completed, what’s the lifespan for the fixtures? Once a site upgrades to LED, are they good to go for the foreseeable future?

EA: Well actually, what we’re seeing now in the retail space is three main issues: one, is that some lighting systems are starting to fail due to age and have no replacement options. The second, is that current upgrades are starting to look dated and the third is, the efficacy is not current.

To the first point, we see retail stores run into issues of equipment that is no longer around or fixtures are starting to die. 

JS: And I can imagine that if the equipment is dated, that can be a serious issue. So then, how can sites replace old equipment? 

EA: Well unfortunately in some cases, there are no direct replacements and you would be looking at a remodel situation. For example, we’re working with a customer with fixtures that are no longer working and there are no replacements for the entire sales floor. After surveying the situation, it’s been determined that an entirely different lighting system needs to be put in. 

JS: I know one of the key factors to lighting upgrades for many of our customers is the look and feel of the store. A well-lit store is more inviting, as we all know. And customers will spend more time shopping in a properly lit space.

EA: That’s exactly right. With some of these initial upgrades starting to appear dated like we talked about, it’s important to keep up with newer lighting technology. If you don’t keep a nice, new space looking up to date, it impacts your customer’s perception of your business.

And on top of that, sites will be more likely to adapt to new technologies you’ll introduce later, like EV, or smart technologies into the stores.  

JS: That’s really important too, when considering the holistic energy usage and the future of a store. Can you give an example of an outdated technology with a store you’ve worked with?

EA: So we worked on a store that put in new technology – an outdoor cafe, sushi, TV screens overlooking mountains. While they had all of the bells and whistles, they didn’t have the shelves lit in their Health, Beauty and Cosmetics or (HBC) section within the pharmacy. We custom designed their wine & beer section as well and actually received a big press feature. With everything new in this store, that’s what they were featured for, that was what most impressive and what stood out most in photographs.

JS: That’s a great example of the impact of lighting and also speaks to what we were saying about the look and feel of a properly lit store – and people clearly notice this! You also mentioned efficacy. For everyone listening, can you explain what that term means?

EA: I’m glad you brought us back to that topic because I wanted to go into more detail on the remodel project actually. In lighting, the term efficacy refers to the amount of light output you’re getting out of a system for the energy input. Efficacy plays a big role in that project and let me explain why. The original equipment that was failing was using continuous runs of material down every aisle. It was a fine solution at the time, but the wattage and lumen output were good but not great. The new equipment was able to increase the lumen output significantly and decrease the site’s carbon footprint and the amount of materials used, without increasing the amount of energy used. The end result was a more carbon-friendly solution with a much higher degree of efficacy.

JS: And this also shows the store’s environmental commitment and sounds like it will allow for some additional energy and cost savings. So what are some of the other options for a site looking to upgrade?

EA: Well, I would suggest replamping retrofitting existing LED for options with better optics and efficacy. Remodeling also helps to reduce your carbon footprint, save energy, and take advantage of tax and other incentives. You’re also going to want to remove unused and existing lighting, for example a track head pointed at nothing. You can also reduce fixture and lamp count in areas that are overlit.

JS: What about adding lighting?

EA: When it comes to the lighting that enhances the products and specific areas of your store, I recommend focusing on the shelf and retail display lighting and your freezer door or open case lighting. 

JS: So now that we’ve covered best practices, what is your recommended way to get started with a lighting solution?

EA: So you want to start with the auditing process, current inventory, and determine replacement items. Sort the data and determine how and when you want to use them in these projects. Once you have all the data, you can even design energy and maintenance programs. When the data is sorted and in one place, then you can create programs and save time and money to ensure everything is prepared.

JS: You’ve mentioned a lot of grocery examples, but how can this type of lighting methodology be applied to retail as a whole?

EA: Yeah, sure. So, there are common threads no matter what space you’re in. You want to keep the sales floor well-lit for customers, highlight particular items, and make sure that featured products are able to be seen clearly, regardless of the type of retail space.

JS: And I think as we’ve discovered throughout this conversation, an overall takeaway is that updating your lighting systems lets you reduce your carbon footprint and save on energy costs.

EA: That’s right. By upgrading your lighting fixtures today, you’re saving money and energy that funds the energy projects you want to work on tomorrow.

JS: And at the end of the day, that is the bottom line and what we’re here for to help you with at Sona Energy Solutions. So, that’s all for today. And thank you for joining for another episode of The Clean Energy Chronicles! Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, where you’ll be able to find the transcript from today’s episode. Until next time!