Commercial lighting and LED retrofits in the Phoenix Valley

Many older commercial spaces are lit with fluorescent fixtures. Converting them to LED usually means one of three approaches. The right one depends on the condition of the fixtures, the ceiling, how many hours the lights run and how long you plan to keep the space.

We price the options that make sense for your space, side by side. If the fixtures are yellowed, cracked or failing, new ones are usually the better spend. If they are in good shape, a retrofit can do the job for less. When we convert a fixture to ballast-bypass, we label it so the next person does not put the wrong tube in.

Parking lot lights fail in a few predictable ways. The lamp or LED driver burns out, the photocell stops switching, a time clock loses its schedule after an outage, or the underground wiring between poles fails. Monsoon wind and dust are hard on pole heads, and water in pull boxes is hard on underground splices.

We troubleshoot the whole circuit, from the fixture at the top of the pole to the wiring underground. Where it makes sense, we replace old metal halide or high-pressure sodium heads with LED fixtures, which use less power and come on at full brightness right away. Even light across the lot matters more than a few very bright spots, so we look at pole spacing and fixture aim before recommending anything. Tenants, their customers and their staff walking out after closing all notice a dark lot.

Wall packs light the sides and backs of buildings: loading areas, dumpster enclosures, side doors and walkways. Those are the places where good light matters most for staff walking out after closing, and where burned-out fixtures go unnoticed the longest.

We replace old wall packs with LED units, add fixtures where there are dark gaps, and repair the photocells and circuits that control them. Fixtures should be shielded and aimed so light lands on your property and stays out of the windows of the homes next door. If your city has outdoor lighting rules, the new fixtures have to meet them, so we check before we order. Exterior fixtures also have to stand up to monsoon rain, so we seal wall penetrations and use parts rated for wet locations.

Controls turn lights off when nobody needs them: occupancy and vacancy sensors in restrooms, break rooms and storage, daylight sensors near windows, photocells and astronomical time clocks outside, and timers on signs.

Controls only help if they are set up right. A sensor with too short a delay shuts the lights off on someone in a restroom stall. A time clock that lost its schedule in an outage leaves the parking lot lit at noon. We set delays and schedules to match how the space is actually used and show your staff or maintenance team how to adjust them.

When lighting is replaced or altered in a commercial space, the energy code your city has adopted may require certain controls. We check what applies before quoting, so the inspection does not turn up a surprise.

Property managers with several buildings usually want the same few things: fewer fixture types to stock, exterior lights that come on and go off at the right times at every site, and one list of what is out. We survey each property, after dark for exterior lighting, and give you a written list by building of what is working, what is out and what we recommend, with prices for each site.

Standardizing on a small set of LED fixtures and color temperatures makes repairs quicker and keeps the properties looking consistent. Tenant turns are a good time to fix interior lighting, because the suite is empty. We can retrofit or replace fixtures, repair switching and sensors, and leave the space with working lights and a labeled panel before the next tenant tours it.

LED upgrades can pay for themselves over time through lower power use and fewer service calls, but how quickly depends on how many hours the lights run and what you pay for power. A warehouse lit from open to close every day is a very different case from an office that is dark by early evening. On a leased property, who sees the savings depends on the lease. Tenants on their own meters keep the savings inside their suites, while parking lot and common-area lighting usually shows up in common area maintenance charges.

Utilities sometimes run programs for business lighting upgrades. Ask your utility before you commit, since some programs need approval before the work starts. We can give you the fixture details and quote information an application usually asks for. The utility decides on any rebate and its amount, so we do not promise either.

Interior retrofits can happen any time of year, and many owners schedule them around a slow week, a holiday closure or a tenant turn. Exterior work is easier outside the worst of the summer heat, and ideally before monsoon season starts on June 15, when wind, dust and lightning start taking out pole lights and photocells.

If lights are out over a parking area, an entrance or a walkway now, do not wait for a full upgrade. We can repair what is out first and fold it into a larger plan later.