Sep 1, 2011 10:14 AM

Groom Energy and Digital Lumens announced the installation of the Digital Lumens Intelligent Lighting System at three newly expanded Interstate Warehousing Inc facilities in Indiana, Ohio, and Tennessee.

The new sections use 90% less lighting energy than the older portions of the facilities, costing 4 cents per square foot to light versus as much as 51 cents in the older spaces. As a result of the savings, Interstate has announced plans to upgrade to the Digital Lumens system in all its refrigerated warehouse facilities to help meet energy efficiency goals.

Operational since autumn 2010, the 117,000-sq-ft addition in Indiana is using about 43,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy compared with older portions of the facility that consume more than 550,000 kWh. The difference equates to a savings of more than $30,000 per year to operate the new section of the warehouse and around 771,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) reduced annually. The Ohio and Tennessee facilities have recently opened and expect similar savings.

Working with Interstate facility engineers, Groom Energy analyzed the existing lighting, selected the Digital Lumens Intelligent Lighting System, designed the new lighting layout, developed a control scheme, and commissioned systems at all three facilities. The systems have exceeded target light levels and lowered operating costs more than expected. LightRules lighting management software provides accessible operational reports on energy use and occupancy patterns.

The Digital Lumens system turns lights on instantly in the freezer as operators enter the aisle, and off after they leave. This mesh-networked lighting system continuously tracks and reports energy consumption and savings, and also allows easy overrides to turn lights on for maintenance or inventory. The Interstate expansions were built by Tippmann Construction. Tippmann focuses on delivering energy efficient systems with designs that have low maintenance and low operating costs.

Interstate, a Tippmann Group company, offers more than 50 years of experience in the refrigeration industry. With more than 79,000,000 cubic feet of refrigerated and frozen storage space, it has 11 facilities strategically located throughout the United States in Indiana (Indianapolis and Franklin), Illinois (Chicago/Joliet), Ohio (Cincinnati/Hamilton), Tennessee (Nashville/Murfreesboro), Michigan (Grand Rapids/Hudsonville), Virginia (Newport News), and Colorado (Denver).

Visit www.digitallumens.com or www.groomenergy.com for more information.