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Sun State Ford Sees the Light With LEDs
The car dealership has turned a costly maintenance issue into a competitive advantage.
Sun State Ford’s lights were going out, and management had a decision to make. Should the Orlando-based car dealership keep replacing its hodgepodge of high maintenance metal halides or switch to a standardized solution?
“With LEDs we were able to give them a more uniform look, along with a set of fixtures that wouldn’t keep failing at odd times.” Arkon Power Technical Manager Graham Brown said. Arkon Power was able to more effectively position the lights to highlight the front of the car dealership. On the front line, 320-watt street lights were used. The balance of the lot was illuminated with 240- 200- and 120-watt LED fixtures. Along with the maintinance savings, the decrease from 133,000 watts to 39,000 watts represented a 70.68% reduction in total power usage. “Not only are we saving on not having to replace anything, we are saving on our electric bill, the lighting is bright and crisp, and all the fixtures match,” Sun State General Manager Linda Rakestraw said.
According to Arkon Power Director of Business Development Eleni Lelekis, lighting projects for car dealerships like Sun State Ford, which is situated near its competitors, are invaluable. “We’ve done projects for a number of dealerships that are located on these high density auto sales strips, and they’re among our most satisfied customers,” she said. “If you don’t go this route, you are giving up on a distinct competitive advantage.”
In Orange County, where Sun State Ford is located, Arkon’s products offered yet another advantage. Through the use of low profile shielding, light pollution was kept below the county’s stringent ordinances. “The directional nature of LEDs already limits light pollution,” Brown said. “Combined with shielding, we were able to develop an elegant solution that kept Sun State Ford well within local regulations.”