Dialight LED Lighting Solutions Help Prison Systems Save Money, Improve Safety and Sustainability

Farmingdale, NJ (September 19th, 2011) – Safety, security and operational efficiency are the top priorities at correctional institutions across the country, many of which face significant overcrowding and budgetary constraints that make meeting these mandates even more difficult.

High-efficiency LED lighting products by Dialight (LSE: DIA.L), the innovative global leader in LED lighting technology, provide an energy- and money-saving solution to help penal institutions of all sizes meet increasingly stringent environmental, economic and energy requirements. Offering significant cost and carbon savings,  converting from existing conventional technology to LED could save more than $22.5 million a year in energy and slash CO2 emissions by more than 165,000 tons annually at the federal level alone. In addition, many Dialight products qualify for energy efficiency rebates offered through local utility providers, offering another powerful financial incentive to make the switch to LED that could even offset the cost of installation.

“Both state and federal correctional facilities are under increasing pressure to improve energy efficiency, both for the environmental benefits and the cost savings,” said TJ Struhs, Dialight Government Affairs with Dialight. “Dialight LEDs cut energy consumption by as much as 70 percent compared to conventional lighting and also offer long-life reliability that virtually eliminates maintenance for up to 10 years.”

Exceptional Energy and Maintenance Savings
With extremely low power consumption and low heat output, Dialight’s LED luminaires offer dramatic cost savings in both lighting expenses and reduced HVAC load. A major savings comes as a result of the LEDs’ instant-on capabilities—the units can be equipped with motion sensors to come on only when needed, eliminating the need to keep the lights burning 24/7 (as is common with conventional metal halide and fluorescent units) to avoid the warm-up time that may jeopardize inmate and personnel safety.

Backed by the company’s five-year full-performance warranty, Dialight products typically offer a decade of continuous, worry-free operation. This long-life reliability not only eliminates the cost of frequent bulb changes associated with conventional lighting but also the hassle and safety risk of moving inmates out of the work area to perform maintenance.

Rugged Durability to Withstand Harsh Conditions
With numerous products certified for hazardous locations, including High Bay, Area Light, Wall Pack and Linear fixtures, Dialight’s LED lighting solutions are the safest and the most dependable on the market. Offering superior shock and vibration resistance—including the ability to withstand an explosion inside the fixture—Dialight’s ruggedized fixtures are exceptionally durable and resistant to vandalism.

“Our Class I Div 1 and Div 2 units are engineered to perform in the most extreme conditions on Earth, including oil platforms, fuel refineries and other highly-volatile environments,” Struhs said. “And, we’re one of the only companies to carry products that meet these stringent standards.”

To further improve safety and comfort inside the facility, Dialight’s low-energy fixtures virtually eliminate the EMI/RFI “noise” common with traditional ballast systems to improve radio communication reliability between personnel and reduce interference with inmates’ personal AM/FM.

LEDs Offer 55% ROI, Less than 2-Year Payback at Snake River
At the Snake River Correctional Institution (SRCI) in Snake River, OR , the Oregon Department of Corrections replaced 464,  400-watt metal halide units with Dialight’s 150-watt LED High Bay fixtures in the gym, kitchen, freezer, warehouses, loading dock, interior/exterior common areas, cell blocks and hallways. In just one year, the changeout saved the 3,057-inmate facility $150,000 in energy costs alone and reduced carbon emissions by more than 1,100 tons—the equivalent of taking 201 cars off the road each year.

“The total cost of ownership savings at Snake River is more than half a million dollars—an impressive figure that already has other institutions looking at their own LED options,” Struhs said. “Imagine if those savings could be applied across the 150+ facilities under the federal Bureau of Prisons, not to mention the hundreds of state institutions. The cost reduction alone could be massive and cut carbon emissions that would equate to eliminating tens of thousands of cars from the road each year.”

Solutions to Suit Every Need
Dialight’s broad product line offers a wide range of options to meet virtually any lighting application in minimum-, medium- and maximum-security facilities. Low Bay fixtures are designed to deliver broader light distribution at a mounting height of just 10-20 feet, ideal for low clearance and mezzanine applications. Dialight’s linear fixtures are well-suited for replacing fluorescent lighting in 2- or 4-foot lengths at up to 20-foot mounting height. High Bay and Area Light units offer superb light quality and distribution for interior and exterior applications at mounting heights up to 35 feet.

For more information about Dialight’s industry-leading line of LED-based lighting solutions for correctional applications, visit www.dialight.com.
Dialight’s products are listed on the U.S. federal government’s GSA Schedule 56, contract number GS-07F-0664X.

Michael Schratz, Director of Marketing, Dialight, 1501 Route 34 South, Farmingdale, New Jersey 07727, USA. Tel: 1 732.751.5897 email: mschratz@dialight.com

Dialight plc (LSE: DIA.L) is leading the lighting revolution for industrial users across the world. Applying leading edge LED technology it produces high-specification, retro-fittable lighting fixtures designed for industrial, commercial, hazardous location, transportation and infrastructure applications to vastly reduce maintenance, save energy, improve safety and ease disposal. Versions of these high specification luminaires are also produced for more general industrial and outdoor situations. The company is headquartered in the UK with operations in the USA, UK, Denmark, Germany, Australia, Japan and Mexico. More information is available at www.dialight.com.

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