Wolf Expects LED Lights Will Slash Energy Use

Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, June 2, 2011

BELLWOOD, Pa. - Wolf Furniture says it's converting to efficient and environmentally friendly LED lighting in all 11 of its showrooms.
     The Top 100 company will start by switching out 75-watt and 90-watt track lighting for greener 12-watt LED lights in five stores, an investment of about $250,000, said President Doug Wolf. It plans to have the new lighting in all full-service stores by the end of the year as well as in a new store opening in Leesburg, Va., in July 2012.
     The new lighting at the first five stores alone is expected to save more than 1.1 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year, or enough to power 105 homes, the company said. It will cut Wolf's carbon emissions by 856.5 tons per year.
     The retailer said the action is part of continuing effort to be environmentally conscious. Doug Wolf said the company has been looking at LED lighting and fixtures for years, but in the past they have always been "too hot and too white."
     He added, however, that the company is pleased with the lighting it has selected from MSI, which will not only cut energy costs but offers aesthetic improvements to the lighting on both upholstery and case goods, giving them some "sparkle."
     Wolf estimated that the conversion at all stores will require an investment of more than $500,000, though the exact figure is difficult to estimate.
     "The longer you wait, the less expensive the lighting can be," he said. "But the longer you wait, the longer you put off saving on energy and having a positive environmental impact."
     He added, "Over time our investment will pay off with a substantial difference in both energy usage and expense."
     Wolf's newer showrooms also have carbon dioxide sensors that adjust their heating and cooling use based on the number of occupants in the buildings. The retailer also recently added efficient diesel engines to its delivery fleet and is recycling packing waste.