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Lighting Audit and Analysis
Our experienced, professional auditors conduct a thorough inspection of existing lighting
systems
and lighting controls. Sufficient time is spent to obtain an accurate lighting inventory
and a complete understanding of the existing building, its occupants, usage patterns and other electrical equipment. At the same time our staff
is mindful to minimize the disruption to our customer's operations during the course of the site visit.
Prism
Consulting's extensive auditing experience has trained our auditors to identify potential issues up front to eliminate
"surprises" for our customers. This includes
examining the condition of the existing fixtures and
wiring and checking for the presence of grounding,
knob and tube wiring, code violations and appropriate light levels. This information is as important as the data gathered on the existing lighting system. These existing conditions will significantly impact both the design and specification of new lighting systems and, more importantly, the installation cost.
The data gathered from the site visit will be reported back to our customer in the form of a written
audit report. The first page is a summary of energy efficient lighting recommendations, including costs. Subsequent pages encompass an inventory of the existing lighting system and hours of use, a detailed specification of the proposed energy efficient lighting, the anticipated energy and dollar savings,
and the payback period from the recommended lighting
system. The report format is user friendly and is understandable by both the layman and experienced professional. Reports can easily be modified to reflect any information or format our customer requests.
In addition to analyzing and reporting audit data, it is an important responsibility of the auditor to openly communicate with our customer, as well as educate them. Our auditors ensure our customer understands how the audit procedure works and, if appropriate, how the design and installation process will proceed. This interactive approach ensures the completed project meets our customer’s expectations.
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Design and Installation of Energy Efficient Lighting
Based on a thorough inspection and detailed lighting audit, Prism Consulting will design and specify new, energy efficient lighting systems, incorporating controls where appropriate. Prism Consulting brings nearly two decades of experience to this task. Our professional staff interacts regularly with facility and plant managers, municipalities, architects, property managers, designers, developers and others connected with
the building trade. A background in the various facility types and their operating characteristics results in the design and specification of systems and products that work best in these specific applications.
Our in-depth knowledge of past, present and future lighting technologies and products ensures customers
receive the appropriate lighting for their specific facility, occupants and usage pattern. In addition feedback from customers and our installing electricians has educated our design staff on the pros and cons of various lighting systems, technologies and products. Even the best products have
limitations
and subtle peculiarities and idiosyncrasies. Insight into these nuances avoids unpleasant surprises when the products are installed. Our staff is dedicated to satisfying clients by designing, specifying and installing systems that meet or exceed the required criteria with respect to energy savings, performance and cost.
Communication is a cornerstone of the design process. Our design staff engages the customer in
a dialogue about the performance of their existing lighting
and their expectations for their new system. To the greatest extent possible, we include our customer in the selection process. The design output generated for our customer is tailored to meet the specific customer’s needs. This design can involve as little as an audit spreadsheet or as
much detail as a complete set of architectural drawings with lighting schedules and reflected ceiling plans.
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Lighting Maintenance and Group Re-Lamping
Lack of maintenance can decrease the lumen (light) output of existing lighting systems by up to
sixty percent. Dirty fixtures, failed ballasts and lamps, or lamps that are at various stages of aging can lower illumination levels
and adversely impact the uniformity of the lighting resulting in
"dark areas". This detracts from the aesthetic appearance of the space,
an extremely important element in a retail environment.
The lumen depreciation can also decrease productivity
in an office or manufacturing setting. Lighting
maintenance includes cleaning the fixtures, lamps and
lenses and replacing failed lamps and ballasts. It also includes re-lamping fixtures toward the end of their useful life but prior to lamp failure. Scheduling this maintenance on a periodic basis
will improve the overall light output of the lighting systems
and the uniformity of the lighting, thereby improving aesthetics, light levels and employee productivity.
Prism Consulting offers lighting maintenance services that address the degradation of existing light fixtures. Our staff will perform an up-front inventory of the existing lighting and
provide a detailed proposal to thoroughly clean existing fixtures, replace failed lamps and ballasts and perform group re-lamping. This type of mass replacement is more cost effective than replacing failed or degrading units individually and results in a better visual outcome. Because lighting is so important in the retail environment, retailers have long understood and practiced group re-lamping to ensure the highest and most uniform levels of illumination in their
environment. From a logistical perspective, it makes more sense to submit to a minor disruption for one evening in order to upgrade an entire facility than multiple disruptions to achieve a patchwork of replacements.
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Lighting Assessment for Rebate Opportunities
The Prism Consulting staff has been involved in Utility Company Rebate Programs since their inception in the late 1980’s. Prism Consulting can assist our customers in understanding the Programs, if any, for which they are eligible. In addition, we
will design and specify energy efficient lighting upgrades that
successfully qualify the project for rebates from the local electric utility company. As part of the process of developing an energy efficient lighting proposal for our customer, Prism Consulting will contact the local utility company representative and submit the paperwork required to obtain rebate approval. Our electricians will then perform the lighting installation according to utility company guidelines and obtain their approval of the final installation. Some utility companies will pay the rebate directly to Prism Consulting, so our customer is only responsible for paying their out-of-pocket expense on the project. Depending on the size and location of the business, eligible customers
may qualify for lighting efficiency upgrades underwritten by their utility company for up to eighty percent of the installation cost.
We serve as a Qualified Vendor for Large Customer Energy Efficiency Programs for Massachusetts Electric, Unitil and Public Service of New Hampshire for specific areas in New England. In addition, we are the Exclusive Vendor for Small Business Energy Efficiency Programs for Massachusetts Electric and Unitil for specific territories in Massachusetts. In New Hampshire we are also Authorized Vendors for the Public Service of New Hampshire’s
and Unitil's Small Business Energy Efficiency
Programs.
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