Case Study: MedSafe Illuminates Facility Interior & Exterior, Lowers Overall Energy Consumption

As a leading national supplier of occupational, health and safety equipment, MedSafe’s primary distribution facility near Houston, TX is strategically located to provide critical disaster relief supplies in the aftermath of a hurricane or tropical Gulf Coast storm. But, this optimum location frequently puts the facility itself in the direct path of severe weather. When business growth demanded a move to a more spacious warehouse and distribution facility, MedSafe insisted on Dialight’s high-efficiency, long-life DuroSite LED High Bay and area lighting fixtures to not only deliver superb energy savings and crisp, clear white light, but also instant restrike to eliminate downtime in the wake of a power outage. With 141 DuroSite LED High Bay interior fixtures and 18 exterior area lights in place at its new facility, MedSafe can now light four-times the square footage at the exact same cost as its previous building and be back up and running in mere minutes.

Always Prepared Providing everything from gloves, hardhats and respirators to disinfectants, first aid kits and hazmat remediation materials, MedSafe is the go-to supplier for safety equipment and occupational health products nationwide during fair weather. But, in an area where severe weather is often a threat, companies, municipalities and emergency responders throughout the region also count on MedSafe’s hurricane preparedness products and rapid response program to minimize downtime in the wake of a major storm. Because of its responsibility to the public, and its customers, MedSafe employs an aggressive disaster preparedness program—one that demands they be up and running immediately after a hurricane hits. At its previous facility, a power outage meant as much as 15 minutes of downtime spent waiting for its 400W metal halide and fluorescent lights to restrike and provide the necessary light to get back to work packing and shipping critical supplies. “We’ve always been about embracing new technology to help us do our job better,” said Burk Shaw president of MedSafe. “This was one of the main reasons we opted for upgraded lighting at our new facility. When we first started the design, both the general contractor and electrician were skeptical, but I was intent on using LED lighting and they ended up loving it and even selling some additional units.” Improved Visibility for Better Performance At its new 125,000 square foot distribution facility, MedSafe installed 141 Dialight DuroSite LED High Bay fixtures at a height of 28 feet. Aiming to achieve 20 foot-candles of light output per fixture, the Dialight High Bays exceeded that goal, delivering 24 foot-candles of crisp, clean white light. “Our employees are enjoying the cleaner, brighter, whiter lighting, and it’s also cooler,” Shaw said. “And, because there’s no yellowing of the cowling, the improved lighting allows our order processors to see their paperwork more clearly and fill orders more accurately.” All-Around Savings Not only is MedSafe able to light four times the area at the same overall cost, a testament to the unprecedented energy savings afforded by the Dialight LED fixtures, but the company was also able to save money buy investing in a smaller generator to provide backup power in the event of an outage. And, with virtually no warm-up time required, the lights are back on in an instant, to keep vital storm recovery and cleanup products flowing. In addition to the energy savings and quality of lighting, the reduced maintenance cost of the Dialight fixtures is also a direct benefit for MedSafe. Backed by Dialight’s industry-leading 5 year warranty, the fixtures will likely last twice as long, eliminating the costly and time-consuming bulb changes required by traditional metal halide fixtures for a much lower total cost of ownership compared with conventional lighting. “The local Dialight sales manager was extremely helpful in providing ROI calculators, measuring our current lighting needs and working with our engineer to ensure we achieved the proper lighting in our new facility,” Shaw said. “We definitely would embrace adding Dialight to other new facilities and retrofitting our old facilities as we upgrade and enhance those distribution points.” For more information about Dialight’s high-efficiency LED High Bay and Area Lighting solutions for industrial and commercial applications visit www.dialight.com - see video version of case study at http://vimeo.com/16765537

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