The National Restaurant Association has teamed up with North American LED, an energy-efficient lighting products supplier, to offer light emitting diode, or LED lighting solutions, to the restaurant industry at discounted prices.
“The National Restaurant Association is pleased to partner with North American LED to offer our members an opportunity to purchase highly energy efficient lighting at a reduced price,” says David Matthews, executive vice president, Innovation & Membership Advancement, National Restaurant Association. “Through our Conserve Sustainability Education Program, the Association has been working diligently to help restaurateurs better understand the financial and environmental advantages of implemented good practices. By working with North American LED, we are moving one step closer to helping restaurateurs be more energy efficient in a cost-effective way.”
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program, lighting accounts for 13 percent of an average full-service restaurant’s energy bill. Switching out old incandescent bulbs for LEDs can significantly cut into this energy cost, saving a restaurant more than $400 a year by switching ten bulbs to LEDs.
“We are very excited to work with the National Restaurant Association to offer these sustainable, energy efficient products to members of the restaurant industry,” says Lamon Elrod, president and CEO of North American LED. “The overall value of using LED lighting is clear and simple: it is cost-effective and environmentally friendly. With utility rebates available in many states and energy cost savings that can amount to thousands of dollars a year, the value is built in. By installing LED lighting at their restaurants, we think operators can save between 50 percent and 75 percent in annual energy costs for lighting while reducing emissions from power plants too.”
EPA research also indicates that Energy Star qualified bulbs use 75 percent less energy than incandescent lighting, and qualified lighting lasts 10 to 50 times longer than traditional bulbs. Fewer bulb replacements mean fewer bulbs going to the landfill, less time replacing bulbs, and more time and money that can be spent on running the restaurant business.
In addition to offering the lighting products at a special rate to NRA members, North American LED is offering all operators a 12+1 program on all LED Lighting in their catalog (Phillips, InVision LED or Viribright); purchase 12 LED Light Bulbs and receive one free. The 12+1 offer is valid through May 31, 2013. Interested operators attending the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show May 18-21 should visit the Viribright booth to learn more.
North American LED also has a savings calculator that restaurant operators can use to calculate annual energy-cost savings, estimate state rebate amounts, and project 3-year outlook analysis.
For more information, visit the Conserve Sustainability Education Program or North American LED websites.
