Brookshire Brothers Taps GE for Lighting in 72 Supermarkets

by | Jun 28, 2012

This article is included in these additional categories:

Texas-based grocery store chain Brookshire Brothers is using General Electric products for a lighting efficiency upgrade.

Once installation is complete in all of the company’s 72 stores. it should save the company $235,000 annually. Re-lamping of linear fluorescent lighting fixtures is now complete at 69 Brookshire Brothers locations.

The grocery chain has replaced 32-watt bulbs with GE’s more energy-efficient 28-watt T8 tubes in approximately 450 four-lamp fixtures in each of its 30,000 sq ft supermarkets. Ballasts have also been replaced with GE’s high-efficiency UltraMax electronic ballasts as needed. Each UltraMax ballast installed will create additional energy savings of approximately eight watts per fixture, the company says.

Brookshire Brothers will save an average $3,200 per store per year in electricity expenses after switching to GE’s 28-watt solution. This accounts for more than $220,000 of the project’s total savings.

In addition to the internal lighting upgrade, Brookshire Brothers has retrofitted with GE Evolve LED Area Lights lighting in five of its parking lots. GE’s 210-watt Area Lights replaced 400-watt high-intensity discharge fixtures in two lots while in the others, 1,000-watt HIDs were replaced by 270-watt Area Lights. Brookshire Brothers will save more than $14,000 annually in electricity costs and further maintenance savings from the parking lot improvements.

Brookshire Brothers’ outdoor lighting updates also included Wallighter Luminaires mounted on buildings for extra security around entrances and walkways. Several locations have also incorporated GE Tetra LED Lighting Systems to complement the enhanced exterior appearance of the stores. Delivering up to 80 percent energy savings, reduced maintenance and long service life, GE’s commercial signage technology provides more uniform light compared to traditional fluorescent and neon options, the company says.

In May 2011 a Verisae report focusing on grocery stores named submeters, consumption analysis and maintenance of existing systems as three low-capital ways that companies can significantly reduce their energy consumption.

The software provider’s report, Ten Ways to Slash Energy Cost & Reduce Budget Uncertainty, says grocery stores consume the most energy of any retail segment and operate on the narrowest margins. “Consequently they have both the strongest incentive and the largest opportunities to enhance profit through energy management,” the report says.

Additional articles you will be interested in.

Stay Informed

Get E+E Leader Articles delivered via Newsletter right to your inbox!

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Share This