Greentech Lead U.S: Lighting Science Group, a provider of
LED lighting technologies, announced partnership with Applebee’s Neighborhood
Grill & Bar, a leading causal dining chain, to monitor, evaluate and
markedly reduce energy usage for lighting in their 23 company-owned
restaurants.
Applebee’s replaced over 3,000 incandescent and halogen
lamps with Lighting Science’s 8W A19 LED, 14W BR30 LED, 8W Par20 LED, and 6W
MR16 LED. Following the project’s completion, Applebee’s reported an 88 percent
reduction in total energy usage for lighting, sparing an average of 820
kilowatts per year.
“Replacing outdated incandescent and halogen bulbs
made economic sense to us,” said Bill O’Keefe, Applebee’s executive
director of Development. “The new LED lighting systems make our
restaurants more energy efficient and match our design standards, and Lighting
Science has been a valuable partner in this process.”
“LED lighting is clearly the environmentally
favorable technology, but it also often outperforms standard lighting
products,” said Clyde Huffman, principal of Restaurant Lighting Concepts.
“For businesses like Applebee’s with a heightened focus on creating
positive customer experiences — ambiance and lighting matter most. Lighting
Science’s LED lighting offers a blended form and functionality to match
Applebee’s energy, economic and design needs.”
The initial cost estimate of the LED lighting retrofit
was tempered by utility rebates made possible with the lamps’ Energy Star
certifications. A tax deduction through the 2005 Energy Policy Act (EPACT) also
applied. Considering these incentives, Applebee’s anticipates a simple payback
in a little over seven months.
“Lighting Science is proud to partner with
Applebee’s, an American staple,” said Keith Scott, chief commercial
officer at Lighting Science. “Our lamps improve their restaurants’
bottom-line and achieve unrivaled lighting quality to enhance the customer
experience.”