Reston Hospital Center, an acute-care and surgical facility in Reston, Va., selected LED lighting by Cree, Inc. to replace the outdated metal halide light fixtures in its parking garage. Cree’s industry-leading IG Series parking luminaires are already generating positive results, delivering better light quality for an improved user experience, including greater feelings of safety, security and comfort for patients, visitors and staff. Moreover, the hospital anticipates an 81 percent reduction in energy consumption and $60,455 in energy savings annually.

The space’s original system contained more than 300 metal halide fixtures with 175 watt bulbs burning 24 hours a day, seven days a week – reaching heat levels that would often melt the globes. Today, the indoor and outdoor parking facility is illuminated by 325 LED fixtures, including Cree® IG Series pendant-mount LED luminaires throughout the parking garage. There are also OSQ Series area luminaires on the roof parking deck and LS4™ surface ambient fixtures with Cree TrueWhite® Technology in the stairwells.

“Prior to making the switch to Cree’s LED lighting, we were experiencing astronomical electricity bills and excessive maintenance costs from lighting in the hospital’s parking garage,” said Chip Cooper, Reston Hospital Center project manager and master electrician. “The material and labor costs of replacing five to 10 globes and 30 or more light bulbs a month were significant, so we were looking for an opportunity to address the issue while enhancing the visibility, safety and comfort for our patients, visitors and staff.”

Cree’s IG Series lighting addresses challenges particular to parking garages. The luminaires feature Cree WaveMax™ Technology, which provides unmatched low-glare comfort and decreased LED source luminance to cast rich illumination that maximizes detail and defeats shadows. The series delivers exceptional energy efficiency and fast payback.

Utilizing Cree’s cutting-edge technology, the OSQ™ LED area luminaires used on the upper level blend extreme optical control, advanced thermal management and modern clean aesthetics to provide industry-leading performance and illumination with dramatically reduced maintenance and energy costs. The LS Series works to brighten the stairwells, offering enhanced visibility and uniform light for improved safety that is engineered for long-life savings. 

“The new lights are among the most impressive I have ever seen,” said Cooper. “We previously had 1000 watt lights on the upper level, and we had dark corners and shadows. Now, it could be two in the morning, and you can see anything in any area up here. The dissipation of the light is excellent. The color is great. And, you can look toward the light and it’s not going to blind you or obscure your vision.”

Cree LED lighting also delivers vastly improved light experiences with intelligent design features, including automated brightness levels and motion control based on usage needs. Additionally, the eliminated glare around the wall-mounted cameras offers improved visibility and enhanced security for patrol officers.

Reston Hospital Center also benefitted from additional utility rebates as a result of making the switch to better LED lighting technology.

Visit http://lighting.cree.com/reston-hospital-center to read the full case study and view images of the installation.