Orion Energy Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: OESX), a designer and manufacturer of energy-efficient LED retrofit lighting systems, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded approximately $500,000 in orders for a high-temperature environment retrofit project by Clow Valve, a major manufacturer of waterworks and fire hydrant equipment.  Orion will retrofit Clow Valve’s machine shop and foundry in Oskaloosa, Iowa, with over 900APOLLO® LED High Bay fixtures. Orion expects the project to be completed by the end of its current fiscal year in March 2017.

Orion’s APOLLO^® LED High Bay fixtures offer high lumens per watt performance up to 152 and a high temperature rating of 131^oF.  When these two features are combined, the APOLLO^® LED High Bay significantly outperforms other LED high bay products on the market. The innovative thermal design reduces the operating temperature of the fixture, which is particularly important in a challenging foundry setting. Better thermal design means the luminaire performs more efficiently in higher ambient temperature environments, extending its rated life and boosting performance.

The fixtures are also designed to retrofit a variety of existing legacy HID and fluorescent light fixtures. Clow Valve will replace four different types of HID and fluorescent fixtures with Orion’s APOLLO^® LED High Bay fixtures with energy management controls. The retrofit will help to reduce the maintenance and inventory burdens caused by Clow Valve’s legacy lighting system because they will no longer have to maintain or carry inventory for multiple types of lighting systems in their facility. By standardizing with Orion APOLLO^® LED High Bay fixtures, Clow Valve will also improve the consistency, clarity and quality of the lighting in their facility.  And by installing Orion’s Solid State Lighting technology, they have an upgradeable platform to take advantage of future developments in Smart Building offerings from Orion.

The local electric utility, Mid-American Energy, is providing Clow Valve with an energy-efficiency incentive for the project. As part of their approval process, Mid-American Energy’s staff reviewed the project proposals for the initial phase of the retrofit and determined that the customer will see annual cost savings of over $80,000 per year by installing Orion’s fixtures. In fact, Clow Valve’s initial performance review has found that this lighting project, in concert with a sprinkler system and air compressor upgrade they undertook at the same time, will reduce their energy use by approximately 30 percent, even as they have increased their number of employees and facility operating hours.

Orion was awarded these projects because of the performance of its high bay products in high heat environments, short delivery time from its production facility in Wisconsin, extensive experience in both foundry and machine shop environments, and ability to deliver superior performance at competitive prices.  As Kyle Silvey, the engineer leading the project for Clow Valve explained, “We looked at a number of options over the past two years. They either cost too much or were not appropriate for our operating environment. Orion’s products are top of the line and they can provide assistance that their competitors can’t.” 

Orion’s APOLLO^® LED High Bay fixtures are manufactured in Wisconsin and are Buy American Compliant. Orion offers the fastest lead times in the industry, meaning customers start saving money faster by reducing energy consumption sooner.  For more information about Orion’s ISON^®, APOLLO^®, and HARRIS line of industry leading products, contact your local electrical distributor or visit www.orionlighting.com.