SYLVANIA SHINES THE LIGHT ON
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR FAMILY DOLLAR
Store Lighting Upgrade Will Result in Substantial Energy Savings and Low Maintenance

THE SITUATION:

Since 1959, Family Dollar has been offering customers a variety of high-quality, good-value merchandise.  A family-friendly store, it runs on the idea of operating a low-overhead, self-service retail store. Headquartered in the Charlotte, N.C. area, Family Dollar operates  6,400 stores in 44 states.  Acknowledging that with numerous stores and the potential for thousands more, Family Dollar turned to SYLVANIA Lighting Services (SLS) for a lighting solution to save energy, reduce maintenance, drive down operating costs and improve store light levels throughout all the stores.
 
Family dollar recognized the need for a change, to improve the existing lighting system in all stores and implement the enhancements in stores to come.  The company wanted a consistent program that would incorporate brighter lighting, minimal operating costs, comprehensive maintenance service and environmental sustainability.  Family Dollar utilized their eight year relationship with SLS to achieve advanced applications in lighting solutions.

THE SOLUTION: 

SLS experts first assessed the existing T8 lighting system installed nearly eight years ago at the Family Dollar stores. A team of SLS professionals discovered that a simple re-retrofit and re-lamping would promote energy efficiency, save money and improve the quality of lighting.   They then joined forces with members of the Family Dollar facilities and financial groups to create the most efficient lighting system, cost effective program and consistent maintenance service. 

The project commenced in January of 2007 and 1,742 stores were completed within six to eight months of the initial installment.  Modifications were executed to meet the stores’ needs, which entailed a retrofit strategy replacing the dated lighting system with current, energy-efficient technology.  All Family Dollar stores will benefit from the retrofit lighting, with execution occurring during nighttime hours to ensure minimal disruption  to the stores’ business, customers and employees.  “The ease of scheduling the retrofits was second to none and the quality of work and the value of the product installed certainly satisfied our expectations,” said Craig Burleson, energy project manager for Family Dollar.
The SYLVANIA OCTRON® FO28 XP™ SUPERSAVER® ECOLOGIC® fluorescent lamps are energy saving replacements for the 32W T8 fluorescent lamps.  These high performance lamps average 36,000 hours of life when used on the SYLVANIA QUICKTRONIC® High Efficiency (QHE) electronic ballasts.  Both of these products were installed by SLS to standardize the lamp types throughout all facilities and reduce maintenance needs.

Annual inspections and on-call services provided by SLS are also included in the four year contract for preventative maintenance. “From the crews who  installed the fixtures to the project manager who oversaw the entire process, the endeavor ran smoothly,” expressed Burleson.

“The new lighting program is a huge win for Family Dollar, which enables them to reduce overall lighting maintenance costs, budget future lighting expenses over four years at fixed cost and allows them to achieve tremendous energy savings  while integrating environmental sustainability,” commented Scott Agnew, SLS executive account manager.

Retrofitting is expected to produce more than a million dollars in energy savings, and family dollar projects the project could pay for itself in less than three years.  In addition, the reduced energy usage products used should  allow Family Dollar to take advantage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 tax benefit.

“In the end, SYLVANIA Lighting Services did a fabulous job with our retrofit,” Burleson said.  “The new lighting will enable our Family Dollar stores to become more energy efficient, while providing a brighter and more inviting store to enhance our customer's shopping experience.”

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