Gerrity’s Supermarkets Chooses Keystone for LED Lighting Upgrade
Gerrity’s Supermarkets is a well-known chain of grocery stores based in Scranton, PA. This family-owned business was established in 1895 when incandescent lighting was relatively new, energy was both cheap and abundant, and no one had ever heard of greenhouse gas. Fast- forward 120 years, and the single Gerrity’s meat shop has expanded to a 9-store operation. With ever-increasing energy costs, Gerrity’s was looking for ways to reduce both their electric bill and their carbon footprint.
The Challenge:
Store lighting was the starting point in Gerrity’s goal to consume less energy. Richards Energy of Manheim, PA coordinated the energy study and utility rebates that were needed to get the ball rolling. Richards also provided the installation crew, disposal and recycling of the old fluorescent lamps, and overall project management.
Six stores were selected for LED retrofits to the existing fluorescent lighting. Since the stores close at 10 PM each day, installers were able to schedule their work in the overnight hours. It was business as usual in the supermarket, with no inconvenience to customers and staff.
The Solution from Keystone:
Richards Energy selected Keystone’s Direct Drive T8 LED tubes for the Gerrity’s retrofit. Keystone’s Direct Drive technology bypasses the ballast and instead uses line voltage connected directly to the lamp sockets for maximum energy efficiency. No external ballast or driver is needed.
The Results:
Work in all of the stores was completed during 8 weeks in the summer. Gerrity’s is reporting a significantly brighter store environment, and at the same time, 40% energy savings. Together, the six stores will consume so much less energy each year that it is the equivalent of removing 74 cars from the road or 37 homes from the electric grid.
At Gerrity’s, our family and staff are very pleased about the opportunity to lower our energy consumption. Supermarkets use a great deal of energy to keep product fresh and appealing: it is always exciting when we identify ways to conserve electricity and still maintain a great experience for the customer.
Joe Fasula, Vice President and Co-Owner of Gerrity’s Supermarkets