There are many types of lighting. When it comes to lighting areas that require special specifications or products, it is important to choose the right option to avoid any future issues. One such area would be freezer lighting applications. A freezer, whether a small unit in a convenience store or a much larger line of units grouped together as one long stretch of freezers, needs specialized lighting that can meet these unique needs. Here are a few helpful tips for choosing the right freezer lighting applications for your location.
- Choose cost efficiency over time instead of initial cost as the deciding factor. For most supermarkets, especially large-scale operations, the freezer units are the biggest energy draws in the location. In fact, it is estimated that some grocery stores have an energy bill where over half of the annual cost of operations is directly related just to the freezer and refrigeration units alone. Look for the lighting solution that will give you the best lumen output per watt of energy consumed for the best value.
- Move away from fluorescent. While fluorescent were once the standard for this area of lighting thanks to their improved efficiency per watt over older options, the new trend is to choose LED for freezer lighting applications. The reason fluorescents are no longer a viable option for this type of lighting need is because they are not designed to handle extreme temperatures well. In fact, they can lose up to 25% of their lighting output in frigid temperatures. LED lights are much better at handling the cold without losing lumen output which makes them a better investment.
- Consider your freezer type. Not all freezers are the units you see at the grocery store in the frozen food section. Freezer lighting can also refer to the much larger freezer found in the backhouse area of restaurants, grocery stores, and other cold storage units. For this area of lighting, you will want to invest in lighting that comes with a cage to protect your bulb. When receiving and organizing deliveries, there will be a risk for accidently hitting the bulb if a delivery is stacked too high. You can avoid this concern altogether with lighting that uses a protective cage design.
- Make sure lighting is UL listed for wet locations. Freezers can have condensation and vapors that will take a toll on lighting solutions. Another good idea is to choose lighting that is sealed or well-gasketed to avoid internal failures of the solution. In fact, many locations choose to utilize vapor tight options to avoid any issues regarding this type of lighting.
- Don’t forget sensors can save you money. Sensors will shut the light off when the door is not open which will save you money on lighting costs. A god bet is to install multiple sensors per unit to ensure the most savings.
This area of lighting can be expensive for many businesses. With the right lighting solution in place from the beginning, you can avoid costly repairs and replacements while getting a great return on the initial investment of lighting products.
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